It was clear that Arsenal needed to improve their attack after having the best defense but scoring 17 fewer goals than Liverpool, the previous year’s champions. if they had a greater chance of winning the Premier League this time around.
However, their already outstanding defense this season has only allowed them to give up three goals in their first eight games, giving them a three-point advantage at the top. Their defense has improved to the point that they might not need to score many more goals.
Moreover, it’s fortunate since, despite the Gunners’ offense being somewhat improved over last year, it’s still a long way off from winning the title. The team struggled in the 2023–24 season, scoring an average of 2. 4 goals per contest.
As the season progresses, Arsenal’s offense may very well improve, considering that Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz are among the creative players who are now out due to injuries.
However, will their defense be sufficient to win the top-flight title for the first time since 2004 if it isn’t?
Only six of the 33 Premier League winners have won the title while giving up the least goals and not scoring the most (18%).
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who won in this manner in 2019–20, broke their 30-year title drought despite having 17 fewer goals. out of 102 for Manchester City that season.
However, Arsenal still came in second despite having the best defense over the past two seasons, so what could be different this time around?
Despite it being early in the season, we’re focusing on them having one of the best defenses in any Premier League season, not just the best this year.
Their current rate of allowing just 0. 38 goals per game indicates that if they continued at that pace for the remainder of the season, they would concede. At the age of just 14, break the amazing record of 15 that Jose Mourinho’s championship-winning Chelsea team established in 2004–2005.
As a matter of fact, with their current rate of 1. 88 goals per game, Mikel Arteta’s squad is on pace to nearly perfectly replicate that amazing squad. in contrast to Chelsea’s total of 72 and 15, there is the chance of scoring 71 times and giving up 14.
In comparison to last season’s 69 goals, that would indicate Arsenal would score two more, but would also allow 20 fewer goals than the previous 34.
Given that the average Premier League champion has 84 goals for and 32 against in a 38-game season, their current form would make them one of the top teams in the league. The champions in history were more immovable than unstoppable.
However, as impressive as Arsenal has been, replicating that amazing defense against Chelsea 20 years ago will be a Herculean effort.
First off, they must maintain clean sheets in their next three games against Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Sunderland just to keep up with the three. the number of goals Chelsea had given up in 11 games.
Additionally, one of the major causes for Mourinho’s team only allowing 15 goals that season was because they allowed two goals after a 2-2 tie. In a 3-1 victory at Norwich on December 12, 2004, they did not allow another league goal at Arsenal until March 5, 2005.
This meant that Chelsea had only allowed eight goals in 27 games.
The Manchester United team’s streak of 14 league clean sheets in a row in 2008–09 surpassed that record, which had been established by that streak of 10.
As they won their first Premier League championship under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal went eight games between January 31 and March 31, 1998, without giving up a goal.
If Arteta’s team wants to rely mostly on its own, it will probably have to equal—or even surpass—that stretch at some point. defense in guiding them to victory in May.
