If they are to become Premier League champions this season, Arsenal must achieve one thing they have never managed before.
Arsenal face a tough task in beating Manchester City and Liverpool to the Premier League title this season.
Whilst the Gunners are currently well-placed in the title race, it is still so tight between the three clubs vying to be crowned champions.
Premier League title set to be decided by Arsenal results v ‘big six’
One thing that the north London outfit do have in their favour though is their record against the teams around them. Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal from a side who were regularly thrashed by their ‘big six’ rivals into a side who often come out on top in these clashes.
In fact, after Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Arteta became the first manager to ever go unbeaten against both Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the same Premier League campaign.
In contrast, last season Arsenal were beaten home and away by Manchester City in the Premier League, conceding six points to the eventual title-winners. The Cityzens went on to beat the Gunners to the title by six points, exemplifying the difference that beating your direct competition can make.
Arsenal have certainly learned this lesson, but there is still more work to do.
The ‘big six’ teams in English football, namely Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur all measure their success against one another’s.
When it comes to head-to-head encounters this season, though, Arsenal have been a dominant force.
How Arsenal can break club-record against top rivals to win title
So far this season, in their seven Premier League meetings with big six opposition, Arsenal have taken 13 points from a possible 21, as they have won and drawn against both Liverpool and Manchester City, beaten Manchester United, and drawn against Chelsea and Spurs.
As highlighted by The Athletic, Arsenal can still take a maximum of 21 points (out of the 30 in total that were available from the start of the campaign) from their fixtures against big six sides this season, as they still have trips to face Spurs and Manchester United to come, and are yet to host Chelsea.
If they were to take maximum points from these three games, then they would reach this 21 point treshold, which would represent a new club-record. Arsenal have never before taken so many points away from their big six rivals. Their best previous effort came last season, when they amassed 19 points from these fixtures.
The Gunners will almost certainly need all these points, too, if they are to win the title. Jamie Carragher has already stated how many points Arsenal will need to become champions and there is almost no margin for error now.