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Mikel Arteta is hoping to lead Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2004, but his record against other members of the Big Six will need to improve if the Gunners are to achieve their quest.
Arteta took the reins at the Emirates back in December 2019, and has transformed Arsenal from mid-table fodder to surprise title contenders during his three years in north London.
But his record against Arsenal’s top six rivals – Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – has been mixed to say the least.
We’ve crunched the numbers to analyse Arsenal’s record against each of them under Arteta’s management.
Manchester City
Played: 7
Won: 1
Drawn: 0
Lost: 6
Goals for: 3
Goals against: 15
Clean Sheets: 1
Points per game: 0.43
Win rate: 14.3%
Loss rate: 85.7%
Goals per game: 0.43
Goals against per game: 2.14
Arsenal and Arteta’s record against Manchester City is appalling; having won the FA Cup semi-final encounter in 2020, they’ve lost every single game since.
City won their Cup encounter last month, while Guardiola has beaten Arteta in all five of their Premier League encounters. Arsenal will need that record to change to stand any chance of lifting the title in May.
Manchester United
Played: 7
Won: 4
Drawn: 1
Lost: 2
Goals for: 12
Goals against: 9
Clean Sheets: 3
Points per game: 1.86
Win rate: 57.1%
Loss rate: 28.6%
Goals per game: 1.71
Goals against per game: 1.29
Both Arsenal and Manchester United have endured long spells of mediocrity in recent years, but the Gunners have generally held the advantage during Arteta’s reign.
Despite defeat at Old Trafford in the last two seasons, including a 3-1 reverse in September 2022, Arsenal have won three league encounters at the Emirates and will fancy their chances of maintaining that record next season.
🔴 Your defence is in trouble, Nketiah’s in the room…
📹 @SkySportsPL | #ARSMUN pic.twitter.com/IMkcQlhzFZ
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) January 22, 2023
Tottenham
Played: 7
Won: 4
Drawn: 0
Lost: 3
Goals for: 11
Goals against: 10
Clean Sheets: 1
Points per game: 1.71
Win rate: 57.1%
Loss rate: 42.9%
Goals per game: 1.57
Goals against per game: 1.43
Tottenham’s win in last May’s Champions League decider feels incredibly distant now; Arsenal won both north London derbies this season and have opened a chasm between themselves and their bitter rivals.
If we were being picky, the Gunners could’ve kept a few more clean sheets against Spurs, but their 2-0 victory in January shows they’ve made a start in rectifying that trifling flaw.
READ: 10 Arsenal greats on Mikel Arteta: ‘He changed the whole thing’
Liverpool
Played: 10
Won: 3
Drawn: 2
Lost: 5
Goals for: 12
Goals against: 22
Clean Sheets: 1
Points per game: 1.1
Win rate: 30%
Loss rate: 50%
Goals per game: 1.2
Goals against per game: 2.2
Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Liverpool last October was hailed as a coming-of-age moment for Arteta’s side and it marked a rare success over Jurgen Klopp’s charges.
Liverpool’s decline this season was undoubtedly a contributing factor to the outcome of their last encounter, but Arsenal’s visit to Anfield in April could be another significant stepping stone on their route to Premier League glory.
Chelsea
Played: 8
Won: 5
Drawn: 1
Lost: 2
Goals for: 14
Goals against: 10
Clean Sheets: 2
Points per game: 2.0
Win rate: 62.5%
Loss rate: 25%
Goals per game: 1.75
Goals against per game: 1.25
It’s safe to say Arteta has loved facing Chelsea during his three year reign at the Emirates.
The Gunners have beaten their London rivals on five occasions, including the 2020 FA Cup final, and have secured an impressive two points-per-game whenever the two sides have clashed.
They’ll next face each other at the Emirates at the end of April. And, with Chelsea marooned in mid-table, it’s safe to say there’ll be more riding on it for Arsenal.
READ MORE: Everything Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have said about one another
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