Arteta's Touch: Arsenal Only Know How to Score Big
The 'Gunners' are the highest-scoring team in the Premier League and also the least conceded. Without a pure striker, the goals are distributed.
When Sergio Agüero scored his famous goal on the last matchday of the 2011-2012 Premier League, it decided the title by goal difference. Manchester City secured its first Premier League title with a +64 goal difference, surpassing Manchester United's +56, which was insufficient to retain the trophy. Neither before nor after has this circumstance been repeated, a title decided by goals. However, Arsenal, just in case, has taken matters into its own hands.
The 'Gunners' are the highest-scoring team in the competition (68) and also the one that concedes the fewest goals (23). Their balance is +45, ahead of Manchester City (35) and Liverpool (39). Mikel Arteta has the team in third position, hoping for a slip-up from their rivals that would allow them to return to the top spot as they did in the first part of the season.
One point separates them from City and two from Liverpool, and with the clash between the two powerhouses this Sunday, a victory for Arsenal against Brentford and a draw in that modern "Clásico" would hand them the top spot with ten matchdays remaining.
Without a top scorer, but with a better group
Unlike Liverpool and City, this Arsenal does not have a superstar goal scorer who scores the majority of goals; their key is distribution. Up to seven players have scored five or more goals in the Premier League, among whom Gabriel Jesus, the best forward in the squad with only four goals, is curiously not included, hampered by knee injuries. In City, where Erling Haaland stands out with 18 goals, only Phil Foden (11), Julián Álvarez (8), Bernardo Silva (6), and Rodrigo Hernández (6) surpass the five-goal mark, while in Liverpool, Mohamed Salah (15), Darwin Núñez (10), Diogo Jota (9), Cody Gakpo (5), and Luis Díaz (6) achieve it.
In Arsenal, Bukayo Saka (13), Leandro Trossard (7), Kai Havertz (7), Martin Odegaard (6), Gabriel Martinelli (6), Declan Rice (5), and Eddie Nketiah (5) have surpassed five goals. Additionally, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Magalhaes have four goals each.
Arsenal's highest-scoring season in history
With 68 goals with eleven matchdays remaining, it is more than possible that this Arsenal will become the highest-scoring team in Premier League history. Their record is the 87 goals they scored in the 2004-2005 season, which was not enough to snatch the title from Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. The 106 goals scored by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the 2017-2018 season are far behind.
For now, they are already the second team in history to score five or more goals in three consecutive away matches, since Burnley achieved this in 1961.
Since their defeat against Fulham on December 31st, Arsenal has defeated Crystal Palace 5-0, Nottingham Forest 1-2, Liverpool 3-1, West Ham United 0-6, Burnley 0-5, Newcastle United 5-1, and Sheffield United 0-6. The victories against West Ham and Sheffield United are the most lopsided away wins in Arsenal's history.
With a less mature project than City and Liverpool, who have had Pep Guardiola and Klopp in their dugouts for eight and nine years respectively, Arteta is reaching the pinnacle of his Arsenal adventure and doing so with a goal-scoring machine.
If they continue like this, this year they could compete for the title until the last match, and who knows if they will give Emirates Stadium its first Premier League title in twenty years.
