However, the metric that is perhaps more impressive and separates them from the rest of the teams in the English top flight is their expected goals against (xGA) number, which currently stands at 9.2, as per Fbref. Manchester City are the next best, registering 11.1 whilst Newcastle United and Liverpool rank third and fourth having accumulated 13.4 and 14.4 respectively.
Mikel Arteta's men have gone up a level out of possession this season, with summer signing Declan Rice undoubtedly a huge part of the reason for that. Rice has made Arsenal more resolute in central areas whilst the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all performed exceptionally well at the back.
Those four defenders are all more than capable with the ball at their feet, always keen to progress the ball vertically but one thing they also have in common is their willingness to keep the ball out of the net, as simple as it sounds. This is something that City boss Pep Guardiola recently highlighted when discussing his centre-backs.
“They know how important it is because we tell them, it’s decisive," Guardiola said regarding his team's defensive mentality. “I have a feeling we now have a defence that enjoys defending.
"Defending has always been an incredibly huge talent. Always we relate talent to skills and dribbles and those kinds of things."The Gunners currently sit one point behind City, who are at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Liverpool are slightly ahead of Arteta and Co, boasting a superior goal difference than their title rivals.
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