Arsenal prolonged their successful run to 10 matches in all competitions after beating Slavia Prague 3-0 within the Champions League on Tuesday night time, because of a brace from makeshift striker Mikel Merino.
The Spaniard led the road rather than the injured Viktor Gyökeres and, simply as he did final season, the midfielder confirmed his versatility and attacking prowess to offer a focus for his crew.
Whereas Merino and fellow goalscorer Bukayo Saka may seize the headlines, it was Arsenal’s defence that made historical past.
The eighth consecutive clear sheet for Mikel Arteta’s facet equals their membership document for shutouts, set within the 1903/04 season.
Talking on the post-match press convention in regards to the record-breaking defence, Arteta mentioned: “There’s quite a lot of work there to attain that. Probably the most pleasing factor might be not the document; it’s the mindset of the gamers. They’re speaking about how we are able to nonetheless do higher.”
The Gunners additionally turned the primary English crew to win their first 4 video games on this competitors with out conceding since Leeds United within the 1969/70 European Cup.
Arsenal’s defensive kind has been nothing in need of exceptional.
It has now been 776 minutes of soccer since Arsenal final conceded a objective – Nick Woltemade’s opener for Newcastle in a match the Gunners got here again to win 2-1.
Throughout that interval, their opponents have managed simply 9 photographs on track, six of which got here within the Carabao Cup win over Brighton on the finish of final month.
Arsenal have proven defensive energy in Europe earlier than. Once they returned to the Champions League beneath Arteta in 2023/24, they didn’t concede a single objective of their dwelling group video games. Nonetheless, in latest seasons, particular person errors and purple playing cards have typically been expensive to their defensive document and title problem.
This marketing campaign, the errors that after undermined their performances have been reduce out, and the Gunners have conceded only one objective from open play up to now three months.
They’ve saved 13 clear sheets in 16 video games performed to date this marketing campaign throughout the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
Arsenal’s defensive numbers are starting to resemble these of the best Premier League backlines.
Their present streak of eight straight wins in all competitions with out conceding is a joint document for an English top-flight membership, set by Preston North Finish (1889) and Liverpool (1920).
Within the league, they’re conceding simply 0.3 objectives per recreation – even tighter than Chelsea’s 2004/05 title-winning facet, well-known for letting in solely 15 objectives throughout the season at a median of 0.39 per recreation.
If Arsenal maintain this type, they’re on target to concede simply 11 or 12 objectives throughout the whole season.
Arsenal are hardly ever recognized for defensive resilience of this degree – even the nice ‘Invincibles’ conceded 26 objectives within the marketing campaign the place they went unbeaten – however Arteta has constructed an unimaginable again line.
