Arsenal’s last-gasp rescuing of a point in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon means it is now just one loss from their last 25 league games against the other 'Big Six' teams.
Mikel Arteta has brought the Gunners back from obscurity in recent years to become an established title challenger with the stats to back up their progress.
However, trophies are the true measure of success and stats can somewhat paper over an inability to win when it matters most.
There can be little doubt Arteta has done a brilliant job in his near-six years in charge of Arsenal and that can be seen by their major improvement in games against the other biggest teams in the land - both from before he arrived and during his reign.
Between 2017 and 2023, the Gunners lost by three or more goals to just Liverpool and Man City nine times in the Premier League, while there were also regular losses to Manchester United and Chelsea.
The tide began to turn in North London during the 2022/23 season with derby doubles over both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while Man United and Liverpool were beaten at home. They did still lose at Old Trafford early in the campaign, though, before throwing away a two-goal lead to draw at Anfield at a pivotal stage in the title race.
Either side of the point on Merseyside, they lost 3-1 and 4-1 to eventual champions Man City, with the second hammering at the Etihad Stadium confirming the title would stay in Manchester.
However, it also marked the last time they would lose to a “Big Six” rival in the league for 858 days. There were still multiple losses to each of Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham but when it came to the so-called biggest games, the Gunners were the best and the stats back it up.
In 23 such matches between April 26, 2023 and August 31, 2025, Arteta’s side won 14 and drew 9, taking a total of 51 points - 18 and 19 more than Liverpool and Man City, respectively, albeit the North West pair had played fewer games.
It’s all very impressive, but perhaps it doesn’t tell the full story, which now crucially includes the loss at Liverpool via a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick and the last-gasp point at home to City.
Both games were seen as major opportunities for the Gunners to lay down a marker with Liverpool looking shakier at the back and City in the midst of a transitional period. There is the caveat of injuries to key players but one point from a possible six, and just one goal, brings up a familiar theme - can Arsenal still do it when it really matters most in the league?
The season before last saw Arteta’s side, much to the chagrin of pundits up and down the land, seemingly play for a draw at the Etihad Stadium when a win might have delivered that long-awaited title. A year ago, there was the home draw with Liverpool after twice leading and a mostly undeserved point at Old Trafford, while their last two trips to Stamford Bridge have ended in stalemates.
The win over Manchester United this season was fortuitous given Altay Bayindir’s literal helping hand, and there were few chances of note created afterwards. It didn’t cost them but the Gunners' lack of ambition came back to bite them at Anfield when the game was there to be won at half-time. Arteta has still failed to win at Liverpool or Man City and it continues to feel like a glass ceiling that must be broken through.
Against Pep Guardiola’s side last Sunday, Arteta played it safe from the start as both managers cosplayed poorly as Jose Mourinho. Erling Haaland’s early goal completely ripped up the Arsenal manager's strategy and even with the introduction of Ebere Eze and Bukayo Saka at half-time, the Gunners did not look like scoring until Gabriel Martinelli’s stunning equaliser in added time.
The stats might still all be in Arteta’s favour but they matter little when he and his side fail to seize the moment.
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