11 months earlier, Arsenal travelled to Manchester City with a Premier League title on the line and fell apart like a house of cards at the mercy of Storm Kathlene.
Pep Guardiola’s side were 1-0 up after seven minutes, 2-0 ahead at half-time. And when Erling Haaland, his hair flowing a la liquid gold, slammed in goal number four late on, Mikel Arteta’s hopes of guiding The Gunners to glory had been reduced to rubble.
The contrast between that performance, and the one Arsenal put in on their return to the Etihad a week ago, could hardly have been any more different.
Few teams across the entirety of the Guardiola era have succeeded in restricting Manchester City to just one shot on target in front of their own supporters. And while Arsenal did come in for criticism in some quarters – Arteta may be Pep’s protege but he took a leaf out of Jose Mourinho’s book during that most disciplined and determined of goalless draws – the improvement in The Gunners’ off-the-ball work from 2023 to 2024 was nothing short of staggering.
Manchester United icon hails Arsenal duo
“Arsenal went to Man City to get a point and, (in the) last three games, they’ve had a clean sheet,” Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic, arguably the best centre-half in the history of the competition, tells Premier League Productions.
“They’re starting to understand what it takes to be champions. It’s not just going forward. It’s about how you defend.”
Of course, Arsenal will argue that, had they not lost William Saliba to the most ill-timed of injuries last season, City would not have had it quite so easy on that April evening. Vidic, however, feels that the still-underrated Gabriel Magalhaes deserves major credit for his role in a side boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League.
Declan Rice’s devastating combination of technical and physical qualities ahead of Saliba and Gabriel, the expert reading of the game of Jorginho, and the relentless work ethic of Arsenal’s wide players, ensure that a tally of only 24 goals conceded is not just down to the work of Arteta’s centre-half duo.
It’s a team game, after all. Though Vidic, a former centre-half himself and a five-time league champion alongside Rio Ferdinand, sees similarities between the Arsenal duo and two of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most trusted lieutenants.
Mikel Arteta the brains behind title charge
“If you look at the last 10 seasons of the Premier League, I think 80 per cent of the time the team who concede the least goals win the title,” Vidic adds. “Arsenal’s centre-backs like to defend. They remind me of Rio Ferdinand and myself.
“It would be a great story for Arsenal to win the title after 20 years.”
Arsenal kept another clean sheet during Saturday’s 3-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion. The London giants have now won 10 of their last 11 games since those shock defeats to West Ham United and Fulham after Christmas.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
