Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are rewriting history, and they’re doing it in style. The Gunners have made their best defensive start in 138 years, sending a clear message to the rest of the Premier League: this team means business.
After a dominant 2-0 win over West Ham before the international break, Arsenal stormed to the top of the table for the first time this season. Ten games in, and they’ve conceded just three goals in all competitions, the lowest tally in the club’s entire history. The previous best? Four, way back in Arsène Wenger’s 2007–08 campaign.
It gets even better. Arsenal have already notched seven clean sheets, matching their all-time record, a feat last achieved in 1987–88. The numbers don’t lie either: the Gunners have faced the fewest shots (56), conceded the fewest goals per match (0.4), and boast the lowest expected goals against (4.39) in the league.
Arteta’s summer signings have played their part. New boys Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapié, and Kepa Arrizabalaga have added serious depth, while Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber have stepped up to make Arsenal’s backline a wall no one wants to face.
But it’s not just the defenders. This entire squad defends as one, structured, disciplined, and ruthless. Arteta’s system is finally clicking, and it’s terrifyingly effective.
If the Gunners keep this up, they won’t just be chasing the title, they’ll be hunting down history.
So, is this the year Arsenal’s defence finally delivers the big trophies?
