Arsenal have had a record-equalling start to the season from a defensive standpoint, after keeping yet another clean sheet on Sunday.
Arsenal’s clean sheet against Crystal Palace on Sunday was the Gunners’ fifth in a row, having also avoided conceding against Atletico Madrid, Fulham, West Ham United, and Olympiacos in recent fixtures.
The last time Mikel Arteta’s side let a goal in was against Newcastle United in September, with Nick Woltemade scoring a 34th-minute header.
Harvey Downes of Opta highlights that it’s the first time since 2007 that Arsenal have won five consecutive matches to nil.
More impressively, Downes adds that Arsenal’s 10 clean sheets in 13 games are the joint-fastest an English top-flight team has ever reached double figures for clean sheets in a single season.
Though it is a record shared with four other clubs, with Leeds United achieving the same in 1970/71, Manchester United in 1991/92, Chelsea in 1999/00 and 2004/05, and Spurs in 2013/14.
And despite all the clean sheets, David Raya is only one clean sheet ahead of Newcastle’s Nick Pope in the Golden Glove race so far. All three times Arsenal conceded a goal were in the Premier League, with the other four clean sheets coming in the Champions League or League Cup.
With 16 goals this season, Arsenal aren’t the Premier League’s top attacking side. The likes of Manchester City and Chelsea have more.
But no one even comes close to the three goals the Gunners have conceded, with the next nearest on seven, and that’s why Arteta’s side are four points clear at the top right now.