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Gunners in 2nd place
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Only three goals conceded in 13 games in all competitions. Five clean sheets in-a-row. Just one shot-on-target faced in three games. The numbers are ridiculous. Arsenal continued their defensive dominance in a hard-fought 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday. Mikel Arteta's team are now four points clear at the top of the Premier League table and their form has been built on one of the meanest defences the league has ever seen. The centre-back partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is colossal. Jurriën Timber has been labelled by some pundits as the best full-back in the league right now. Riccardo Calafiori inverts from left-back to great effect.
To add to that, waiting in the wings are Myles Lewis-Skelly, Piero Hincapié, Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White - that in itself would arguably be one of the division's best back fours. Arsenal's defensive depth is frightening. And another remarkable landmark was reached this weekend - the Gunners have now gone 100 games in all competitions without conceding three or more goals. The last team to score three times against Arteta's side? Luton Town, now of League One, in a 4-3 Arsenal victory at Kenilworth Road in December 2023. Only one Premier League team has ever gone on a longer run without conceding three or more. Let's take a look at the top 10 streaks.
The longest runs without conceding 3+ goals
The team leading the way in first place may come as a shock. Manchester United went 107 games in all competitions without conceding three or more goals, but not under the serial winning team of Sir Alex Ferguson. It was actually under José Mourinho's stewardship, as the Red Devils didn't concede three across a two year stint from October 2016 in a 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, and August 2018 when Brighton put three past them in a 3-2 Seagulls win on the South-coast. Arsenal now stand second with a 100 games streak. If they can go through their next eight fixtures without letting three goals in they will beat the record: Brighton (H), Burnley (A), Slavia Prague (A), Sunderland (A), Tottenham (H), Bayern (H), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H).
Man United feature twice more in the top 10 streaks, going 76 games without conceding three or more goals between 2007-08 and 57 matches between 2006-07 - both under Ferguson. Manchester City make the top 10 twice under Pep Guardiola - a 68 game-run between 2022-23 and a 54 match-streak between 2020 and 2021. Chelsea crop up three times in the top 10 - twice under Mourinho (63 games between 2007-08 and 55 games between 2004-05), and once back in the late 1990s (65 games between 1998-99). Arsenal complete the top 10, going on a 54 match-run in their invincible season between 2003-04.
