According to @Orbinho on Twitter, Arsenal currently have a better strike conversion rate (23.1%) than Manchester City did in their prolific title-winning season last year (20.7%), and thus the best since Opta started recording in 1996. It seems outrageously good when you consider that this Gunners side aren’t running away with the league, but rather facing a four team dogfight for third and fourth place.
But why, then, is it so good?
As many Arsenal fans will tell you, the Emirates Stadium is home to arguably one of the best strike partnerships in the league this season. While the all-too-familiar story of a wishy-washy Arsenal defence drags on into its latest chapter, the romantic tale of two brothers in arms up top is a welcome distraction for Gunners.
Arsenal's conversion rate of 23.1% of shots resulting in goals this season (excluding blocked shots) is the highest of any team in any Premier League campaign since Opta first started analysing games in 1996.
Second is Man City from last season at 20.7%— Orbinho (@Orbinho) April 4, 2019
Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have shone in the Premier League this season with a combined 30 goals and 12 assists. And although Arsenal manager Unai Emery hasn’t yet found a way to consistently play the pair together, neither seems to care who starts so long as they get to make time for their trademark handshake celebration.
In the long term, Arsenal may well struggle to keep up such a high conversion rate - especially considering their general shot output is low. Which also means their strikers have been even more accurate with the relatively few shots they’ve had.
Good luck keeping up anyway, fellas.
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