If there was ever a match that showed Arsenal are in desperate need of a proven striker, Sunday's FA Cup defeat to 10-man Manchester United was the perfect example.
Gunners supporters have celebrated the club's astonishing success this season under the expert leadership of Nicolas Jover, but there was no such joy against United.
Ruben Amorim's side were a defensive hurdle all game as they vowed not to concede from another corner after being broken twice via that route in their previous 2-0 defeat in the Emirates.
Arsenal were without their regular corners as Bukayo Saka remains sidelined with a long-term injury and Declan Rice started the afternoon on the bench, resulting in a lack of usual threat.
Mikel Arteta watched in horror as Kai Havertz squandered golden chances to put the game to bed after Arsenal canceled out United's opener, with set pieces proving ineffective.
Altay Bayindir was heroic in denying Arsenal in open play and later during a thrilling penalty shootout in which the visitors ultimately emerged victorious, providing a brick wall against the Gunners attackers throughout.
Despite an equalizer through Gabriel, the 1-1 draw only raised more questions about Arsenal's problems in scoring from open play as chances passed on a problematic afternoon for the hosts.
Gone are the days when Arsenal were praised for playing the most attractive football at the top level by neutral supporters, with Arteta placing even more importance on scoring from set pieces this season.
The Spaniard and his assistant Jover have created an environment at the club where winning corners is celebrated as much as a match-saving tackle. The statistics show how Arsenal's reliance on set pieces could quickly become a hindrance to their title efforts.
Now in his sixth season as Gunners boss, Arteta is trying to find a winning edge to finally get them over the line in the Premier League title race, having finished second twice and now sit six points behind leaders Liverpool.
He has tried to use both Havertz and the now injured Gabriel Jesus in the forward line this season, but both are getting fewer opportunities in open play as more importance is placed on corners and free kicks.
Arsenal are now seeing their highest ever expected goals (Xg) per match from set plays under Arteta, with the title chase team managing an Xg of 0.51 per 90 minutes in all competitions this season.
That's a huge increase on last season's efforts, when the Gunners still posed a huge aerial threat but were expected to score just 0.35 goals per game from set-pieces.
Arsenal finished last season with a total of 18.36 expected goals from set play, while despite only being halfway through the current season, they are already approaching that number with an Xg of 15.68.
Meanwhile, the damning argument that Arsenal are less effective at creating chances in open play is only fueled by the figures showing a worrying trend over three years.
Over the past three seasons, Arsenal's Xg of open play per match has been on a downward spiral which correlates with the need to sign a new striker.
The Gunners achieved an open play
Now Arsenal's Xg from open play stands at just 1.29 per match, with Gunners fans increasingly concerned about their team's lack of lethal finishing in front of goal.
However, Arteta's team of silverware chasers manage to take more shots on target per game than they averaged in previous seasons, with a score of 5.55, highlighting just how great the chances a striker can take.
Arsenal could look to solve their goal problem with a new striker in the ongoing January transfer window, with talks over several players ongoing.
The club were previously linked with a move for ex-Brentford star Ivan Toney before deciding to reject a move for the England international over the summer and later securing a move to Saudi Arabia.
Now the Gunners are considering a move for Newcastle star Alexander Isak, while out-of-favour PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani has also been offered to the club.
Arsenal – and Arteta in particular – are not generally ones to stray from their main targets, but injuries to Saka and Jesus have made the need for reinforcements a major priority.
Whether Arsenal can recruit a top striker mid-season remains to be seen, but their reliance on set pieces is not the answer and Arteta knows his side's problems cannot be glossed over again for fear of another trophyless season.
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