The brutal Arteta stats Arsenal fans won’t want to see in the Premier League title race
Having led the table since October, Arsenal have been replaced at the top by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
With only five games remaining in the Premier League season, a familiar name has surged to the top of the table. Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal last weekend allowed Pep Guardiola’s side to take the lead in the standings for the first time this season, right when it matters most.
City’s advantage, however, could hardly be more slender. With the two teams level on points and goal difference, the Premier League’s first tiebreaker, the Sky Blues sit above the Gunners by virtue of having scored more goals. In theory, there could still be several twists and turns, although many feel Arsenal have blown their best chance of winning a first league title in 22 years.
Arsenal’s April problem returns
Mikel Arteta’s side first moved to the top of the standings on Oct. 4, where they remained until April 22. They held a nine-point lead as recently as April 11, but another poor April could cost them dearly, not for the first time.
As highlighted by LiveScore, the penultimate month of the season has not been kind to Arsenal under Arteta. Since the former midfielder took charge in December 2019, his team has posted a 40.7% win rate in April, with 11 wins, seven draws and nine defeats in 27 games. That return is rarely enough to get over the line in a title race, as already seen in 2022-23.
Guardiola’s late-season dominance
City under Guardiola, on the other hand, are an entirely different proposition. Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, when Pep arrived in England, his side have consistently saved their best form for the run-in. Guardiola has overseen 33 wins, five draws and just three defeats in 41 April matches, a win rate of 80.5%.
Those strong finishes have helped City claim six Premier League titles under Guardiola, while Arteta is still searching for his first.
A telling stat in the title race
There is another statistic that makes for uncomfortable reading for Arteta and Arsenal fans.
Since Arteta took over at the Emirates, Arsenal have spent 100 more days at the top of the Premier League than Guardiola’s City, as noted by TNT Sports. In that same period, City have won four league titles to Arsenal’s none, a reminder that it is how you finish, not how you start, that ultimately counts.
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