Coming off the bench with Arsenal trailing on Sunday afternoon, Mathieu Flamini was in danger of losing a pretty special record.
An improved performance and a Kieran Gibbs goal saw Arsenal rescue a point, and Flamini remains unbeaten in Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium.
The first two seasons at our new ground, Flamini played 25 games as he established himself in the Arsenal midfield. After some time in Milan, the Frenchman returned in the summer of 2013 and has not been on the losing side in 25 further games he’s appeared in.
“I have never lost a Premier League game at the Emirates, and believe me you do not want it to start against Spurs,” the midfielder said to Arsenal Player after the game. “We came back with great team spirit and it was important for the fans as well today.”
Mathieu Flamini is still undefeated in Premier League matches at Emirates Stadium (P50 W34 D16)
— Josh James (@JoshJJames78) November 8, 2015
This isn’t enough reason to suddenly play Flamini every week, but maybe the extent to which he’s often mocked by fans is undeserved.
If nothing else, the Frenchman is always totally committed and he certainly made a difference coming off the bench for Santi Cazorla at the weekend. Since arriving in the same summer, Mesut Özil has featured in 30 Premier League games at home, only losing one (against West Ham United in the opening weekend of the current season).
Of established first-team members, Gabriel is also unbeaten in Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium but has only made six league appearances at home since his transfer from Villarreal last summer.