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Liverpool vs Arsenal Sunday
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This Sunday a huge Premier League clash awaits at Anfield. Last season's runner-sup Arsenal travel to last term's Champions Liverpool. In yesteryear, the Gunners became known as brittle and naive in these big games, but there is evidence to suggest that pendulum may now be swinging in Arsenal's favour under Mikel Arteta. Both games between Arsenal and Liverpool finished 2-2 last season. And losing Premier League games to 'Big six' opponents has essentially become a thing of the past for Arteta's team - their record is simply incredible.
As illustrated in the graphic above, the last of the so-called 'Big six' teams to beat Arsenal in the league was in-fact Manchester City. But that victory came 855 days ago in a 4-1 victory in April, 2023. Manchester United haven't beat them in the Premier League since a 3-1 win at Old Trafford, 1,089 days ago, in September 2022. North London rivals Tottenham haven't tasted Premier League victory against the Gunners since a 3-0 home win in May, 2022, 1,204 days ago. For Liverpool the wait is 1,261 days. For Chelsea, it's 1,467. Arsenal's record in these big games has transformed from atrocious to incredible under Arteta's stewardship. So how did Arteta turn that tide and manufacture such a formidable record?
From disasters to masters - How Arteta’s improved Arsenal's 'Big six' record
For many years before Arteta, and even at the beginning of the Spaniard’s tenure, games against the bigger clubs were surrounded by fear for the Gunners fanbase. Not only were Arsenal being beaten, they were being taken apart. A 6-0 defeat to Chelswa. A 5-1 loss to Liverpool. A 5-0 drubbing to Man City. Between 2017 and 2023, Arsenal lost by three or more goals to just Liverpool and Man City nine times in the Premier League alone. Watching pundits criticise Arsenal's lack of a backbone seemed to become a formality that followed the Gunners in big games.
When Arteta took charge, Arsenal hadn’t won at Old Trafford in the league for 13 years. They hadn’t won at Stamford Bridge for eight years. They hadn’t even taken a point at Anfield for three years. They hadn’t beaten Man City in the Premier League home or away for four years, and hadn’t won at the Etihad since 2015. Arteta’s Arsenal have put all those records to bed bar one - they still haven’t won at the Etihad, but did take a point there in each of the last two seasons. There has been a vast improvement in the big matches under Arteta's management of late.
As illustrated in the graphic above, Arsenal’s record against the big six teams was pretty poor at the beginning of Arteta’s tenure. In his first three seasons, his best points per game ratio in the Premier League against the ‘Big six’ clubs was 1.30ppg. However in the 2022/23 season, Arsenal amassed 1.90ppg against the ‘Big six’, in 2023/24 they averaged 2.11ppg, and last season it stood at 2.00ppg in the same category. Plus they have already won at Old Trafford this term. Arteta’s Arsenal have transformed into big-game players.
As highlighted in the graphic above, if we take it back over the last two and half seasons to the start of the 2022/23 campaign, then Arsenal would still be on top of the ‘Big six’ Premier League table taking just games between those teams into account. Arsenal have a point per game record of 2.06ppg in 1st place, beating Liverpool’s 1.60ppg, who take second on that list. For so long before Arteta and even during his early reign, Arsenal games against the 'Big six' teams usually ended with pundits and journalists alike slating the Gunners for being 'too nice'. It was usually justified. But that's no longer the case, and Arteta's team will go to Anfield with genuine hope they can get a result.
