by Mikel Arteta calls it “the love of defence” and there was no better example of Arsenal’s new mentality than in the final few seconds of their 3-0 win at Brighton on Saturday. The game went into stoppage time when Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes blocked a powerful shot from Brighton’s Joao Pedro.
Gabriel’s immediate reaction was to roar towards the sky, both fists clenched in glee at his own challenge. Then he was mobbed. Leandro Trossard, William Saliba, Jorginho, Takehiro Tomiyasu and David Raya all went towards the defender. It was a celebration that was actually more intense and emotional than the reaction to Trossard’s goal, scored about five minutes earlier.
“It’s a great satisfaction for all the coaches to see that response from the team at 3-0,” said Arteta. “It’s amazing because that tells you how much they want, the importance and focus they put into every ball. It was an added bonus.”
Arsenal’s “love of defence”, combined with their ability to control games with the ball, make them the strongest defensive team in the Premier League. They have conceded just 24 goals this season, the fewest in the division, and have conceded just four goals in 11 league games in 2024.
Since Saturday night, Arteta’s side have run four clean sheets in a row in all competitions. Including extra time in their Champions League game against Porto, they have not conceded a single goal in 435 minutes of football.
Gabriel played every minute of those games. However Saliba, his partner. Together, they are the league’s standout defensive pairing. Behind them, Raya has proven why Arteta considered him an upgrade on Aaron Ramsdale. In front of them, Declan Rice is shutting down the opposition’s midfield every week.
If last year’s title charge was built on wild attacking football, this year’s push has been built on the solid foundation provided by these players. Arsenal are powerful, organised, fast and determined. They can press high, win the ball in the opposition half, or they can sit deep and absorb pressure.
When Arteta and the club’s executives sat down last summer to assess their 2022-23 campaign, it would not have been difficult for them to identify the overarching problem. They would have seen for sure that the question was not about attack, where Arsenal had scored 88 goals. In the previous 20 years, the Premier League champions had scored an average of 85.
The concern was the “goals against” column, which read 43. In the previous 20 years, the Premier League champions had conceded an average of just 29 goals in a full season. So Arsenal didn’t create a title-winning defence.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that they promptly spent £105 million on the league’s best defensive midfielder. They also pledged £30 million for Raya (to be paid this summer) and more than £30 million for another defender, Jurrien Timber (who was injured). They obviously knew that their own half of the field was the area they needed to strengthen.
‘The key is that everyone goes 100mph on every ball’
Of course, it’s more complicated than simply spending money on new defensive players. The club had Saliba and Gabriel last season, after all. But it’s clear that the defensive spirit has stepped up this season, with the attacking players buying into it as well.
“The key is that everyone goes 100 miles an hour on every ball,” Arteta told Sky Sports last month. “Our strikers, our wings, our attacking midfielders – they love to defend.”
There is a startling difference between the end of last season, when Arsenal fell in the title race without the injured Saliba, and their current defensive form. In the final 10 games of last season, Arsenal conceded an average of 1.7 goals per game. Over their last 10 league games this season, that rate has dropped to 0.4 goals per game.
When compared to the rest of the division, too, no other team even comes close. In 2024, the expected goals against Arsenal are 4.71 (over 11 games). The next best defense in the division in that time is Manchester City, who have a goal conceded ratio of 12.28 (over 12 games).
If Arsenal manage to win this title race, it will surely be their defensive record that will make a big difference. Throughout the years, and especially this time last year, their defense has been their biggest weakness. Now, with Gabriel celebrating tackles as if they were winners and Saliba standing strong next to him, it is now their greatest strength.
