Arsenal have been outstanding in the Premier League in 2024, and even if they do not win the title this season, they have shown excellent improvement from last season.
Mikel Arteta’s side have lost just one game since the turn of the year, and are still in contention for the Premier League title with three games remaining.
The start of 2024 saw Arsenal end a poor run of form as they looked revitalised following a mid-season break in Dubai, and they embarked on an excellent winning run, with a draw away at Manchester City and a shock home defeat to Aston Villa their only dropped points.
Arsenal have also been outstanding going forward in this time, with heavy victories against the likes of Crystal Palace, Chelsea and West Ham, and one stat has shown a significant change in the way the Gunners approach the start of games.
Arsenal now secure earlier leads than before in 2024
In November, we highlighted how Arsenal’s victory over Wolves saw them score a goal in the opening 15 minutes of a Premier League game for the first time.
Arsenal’s slow starts were holding them back as they allowed opposition defences to sit tighter and gain confidence as the game went on, even if they did eventually find the breakthrough.
It has been an entirely different story in 2024, and Arsenal have now found the back of the net 12 times in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season, which is more than anyone else in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s early goals help them rack up big scorelines
Arsenal have recorded some spectacular scorelines in recent months, and a crucial part of these heavy wins has been early goals.
The 5-0 win over Chelsea saw Leandro Trossard open the scoring within minutes, and this would eventually lead the visitors to push forward more and Arsenal scoring five.
READ MORE: The 8 worst Arsenal VAR decisions of all time in Premier League games
Heavy wins over Burnley and Sheffield United began with early goals, and opposition heads would drop, allowing Arsenal to complete several humiliations to pile on the misery.
It is impressive that Mikel Arteta has turned a team which could not take the initiative early in games, to the side better at it than anyone else, and Arsenal are now a team to be feared throughout matches.
