Arsenal's goalscoring problem: Should Arteta trust Havertz?

Arsenal sit top of the Premier League, level on points with Manchester City. Even so, the forward line is causing problems. Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres have not scored in the Premier League since early September. The team's defenders have scored more goals than its forwards.

Havertz became Arteta's first choice after returning from injury last season. The 27-year-old scored and started in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in May. In the new season, he scored against Manchester City in the Community Shield, then added Premier League goals against Coventry and his former club Chelsea. Since then, however, he has played 561 minutes without finding the net in any competition.

Gyokeres scored the equaliser from close range in the Carabao Cup match against Fleetwood Town, which was lost on penalties. In the Premier League, though, he has managed only one shot in 148 minutes, a header against Nottingham Forest that went over the bar. He played 160 minutes in the Champions League without taking a single shot.

Arsenal have taken 7 of 9 possible points in the Champions League and won seven of their eight matches. Arteta's main concern is that if this lack of goals continues, it will become harder to maintain this pace. The forwards need to produce.

In Sunday's match, Liverpool's forward Alexander Isak has stood out with 6 goals this season. Arsenal were known to want Isak, who moved from Newcastle to Liverpool for 125 million pounds. The club has built a strong squad in defence and midfield, but it still lacks a world-class goalscorer.