Arsenal were the subject of strong media scrutiny when they dropped points against Liverpool and Manchester City – but they’re now sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table as we head into the October international break.
The fixture schedule was hardly kind to Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Gunners, serving up three difficult away trips to Old Trafford, Anfield and St James’ Park inside the opening six matches of the season.
Nonetheless, Arsenal have now come out the other side with more points than any other team and additionally, they have only tasted defeat once in their opening 10 matches in all competitions.
Football.London spoke to Bukayo Saka on Saturday after he scored the second from the penalty spot in the 2-0 victory over West Ham. We put to him that Arsenal seem to be hitting form at just the right time after already navigating those awkward early away trips to Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Saka was in agreement and said of the club’s critics: “Yes, you said it perfectly. A lot of people have had a lot to say on how we started the season.
“Looking at the fixtures we had, the points we have now going into the break plus our position in the Premier League, we are proud and happy. When we come back after the break, we’re in a good place to push on in the Premier League for sure.”
Football.London has since crunched the numbers to see how Arsenal have fared – points wise – in comparison to last season. We have replaced Leeds (Championship winners) with Leicester City as they finished the highest of the three relegated sides (18th) last term.
Arsenal started off with an opening day triumph on the road at United, winning 1-0 thanks to Riccardo Calafiori’s 13th-minute opener. Last season, Arsenal drew the same fixture 1-1 in March – Declan Rice was on target – as their slim title hopes continued to fade.
The Gunners then thrashed Leeds 5-0 in their second Premier League fixture of the current season as Viktor Gyokeres helped himself to a brace. Unsurprisingly, Arsenal beat Leicester 4-2 at home last season, though they did not lead until the 94th minute as the Foxes fought back from 2-0 down to level things up courtesy of a James Justin brace.
Arsenal’s only defeat of the season to date came at Anfield when an unstoppable, late Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick proved the difference between the two sides.
Last season, the teams played out a dramatic 2-2 draw on Merseyside in May after Arne Slot’s Reds had already been crowned champions. The Gunners fought back from 2-0 down thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino, who was sent off.
Just like last season, beating Nottingham Forest at home was a formality. Arsenal ran out 3-0 victors on both occasions with Martin Zubimendi (brace) and Gyokeres netting this time out.
Then came the 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Arteta’s lineup was the subject of criticism after Martinelli rescued a point at the death. Last term, Arsenal thumped Pep Guardiola’s men 5-1 in their best performance of the season back in February.
The desperately late win at Newcastle in late September could prove significant come the end of the season. Gabriel Magalhaes headed the precious goal to earn Arsenal all three points. In November 2024, Alexander Isak’s 12-minute header downed the Gunners as Arteta’s Tyneside struggles continued.
Finally, Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Ham last weekend was three points gained in both senses given the Gunners lost the same fixture 1-0 in February when Jarrod Bowen hit the winner. Myles Lewis-Skelly was also sent off in the frustrating defeat.
In total, Arsenal are five points better off than they were last season from the fixtures they have currently played. There has been notable progress in the past two matches as last term, the Gunners lost to both Newcastle (A) and West Ham (H), respectively.
What’s also intriguing is that Arsenal actually had one more point (17) than their current total (16) after seven matches last season. While they have scored one more goal (14), they’d conceded one less (two) this time last year.
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