With seven video games to go, the Premier League title race is as shut as it might get. Arsenal are on high however simply on purpose distinction towards Liverpool with Manchester Metropolis only a level behind. After dropping out on the title, Arsenal are decided to finish their two-decade trophy drought. The Gunners have managed to construct a squad that has challenged for trophies on a number of fronts.
Nearly all of the plaudits have gone on to the crew’s attackers, resembling Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard. Nonetheless, the crew’s defence has been pretty much as good, if not higher. Sir Alex Ferguson as soon as mentioned ‘Assault wins you video games, defence wins you titles’. And Arsenal have been the right embodiment of this quote.
Final season, Arsenal misplaced the title by 5 factors, however additionally they conceded ten extra objectives. Mikel Aretat mentioned final season, “We’re conceding too many easy objectives.” This season, although, has been a special story, and we analyse how the Gunners have develop into one of many stingiest defences throughout Europe.
Arsenal 2023-24 defensive stats
With seven video games to go, Arsenal conceded 24 objectives, which is the least within the league. That is already seven lower than what they conceded final season on the identical stage. Nonetheless, Arsenal additionally conceded 12 objectives within the final seven video games the earlier season which doesn’t seem like the case with this season.
The membership have conceded 260 pictures, the second-least within the league. Nonetheless, solely 73 pictures had been heading in the right direction, the best-record within the league. Arsenal’s improved defensive document is a collective effort of the backline and Declan Rice who has not been an amazing participant but in addition an amazing chief.
Gabriel and William Saliba have been on the coronary heart of the defence, conserving the opposition at bay. They’re one of many main explanation why Arsenal have solely conceded 491 touches of their field, the least within the league.
Arsenal have additionally improved upon their high-pressing abilities. The Gunners presently are the second-best crew on the Buildup Disruption Share (BDP). The BDP is a metric that measures how typically a crew disrupts the opposition’s buildup both by means of tackles, dispossession or interceptions.
Arteta’s males additionally dominate on the Discipline Tilt, which measures the share of possession a crew has within the opposition’s half. Arenal are the second-best crew within the league after Manchester Metropolis within the league.
This excessive urgent model permits the opposition much less time on the ball, giving them fewer alternatives to create probabilities. Opta of their evaluation just lately discovered that Saliba and Gabriel had been top-of-the-line centre-back partnerships within the league successful 17 out of the 24 video games they performed giving them a successful proportion of 70.8.
Former England worldwide Matthew Upson additionally acknowledged the brilliance of Gabriel and William Saliba. The centre-back, who represented the Three Lions on the 2010 FIFA World Cup (the place he additionally scored a purpose) gave an interview to Betway the place he lamented reward on the centre-back duo. On being requested whether or not Gabriel and Saliba had been the very best defensive partnership within the league, Upson mentioned, “I’d say they’re, and I feel that their document would inform you that. They’ve obtained the defensive document within the Premier League by way of conceding objectives, I feel they’re three objectives higher off than every other crew.”
“That’s normally usually marker, isn’t it? To say that you just’ve obtained top-of-the-line centre-back partnerships actually does offer you an opportunity. I feel the midfield has lots to do with it. Declan Rice has had an enormous say; enjoying behind him is a dream by way of what he brings. He can instinctively fill in,” he added.
Upson additionally talked concerning the significance of Rice who has supplied the bodily presence within the midfield. He mentioned that Rice’s function as a centre-back early in his profession has helped him to work in tandem along with his centre-backs.
“I adore it when the centre-back steps out with the ball, Declan has obtained that intuition, that centre-back intuition, which he performed by means of under-18 and even in under-21 soccer. He performed lots at centre-half, so he actually understands the function.”
Final season, Saliba missed the final 11 league video games because of a again damage. This coincided with Arsenal’s decline in kind the place they relinquished their grip on the title race. And Upson said that the supply of the Frenchman for the whole season has helped Gabriel massively.
“However I really feel that Gabriel is extra assured when he has Saliba alongside him, and he makes clearer selections. When Arsenal misplaced Saliba on the finish of final season, I felt Gabriel was a bit of bit extra distracted. He wasn’t as targeted on his personal recreation and what he brings in being bodily. I really like the best way he stood as much as Haaland on Sunday and the way he went about that. I assumed that was an actual present of confidence,” Upson mentioned.
He additionally said that with the best way Saliba was enjoying, he was nearly pretty much as good as Virgil Van Dijk, who he said was the present greatest defender within the league.
“When it comes to the Premier League in the intervening time, it’s between Virgil van Dijk and Saliba. I feel it’s tough. I feel van Dijk is in a special stage of his profession, he has extra of a presence and aura round him due to what he’s achieved, due to his stature at that membership,” Upson mentioned.
