There is one number that matters for Arsenal fans as far as 2025/26 is concerned, and that is the number “one”, which was where the Gunners finished in the league table. After finishing second three times in a row, twice to Manchester City and once to Liverpool, Mikel Arteta’s men were in real danger of setting an unwanted record by becoming the first team in the entire history of the English top flight to finish as the runners-up in four consecutive seasons.
They held their nerve, just about, as Pep Guardiola’s Man City blinked, and ended up running away with the title quite easily in the end. We’ll look at their points tally and other stats from the 2025/26 campaign in a moment, but first let’s look at what this latest title means for the bigger picture.
Arsenal Title and Trophy Stats
The Gunners came relatively close to landing an unprecedented quadruple. They won the league but lost in the Champions League and League Cup finals to PSG and Man City, respectively. They had also been the favourites for the FA Cup but were victims of a big “cupset” when going down to Championship Southampton in the quarters. Even so, their Premier League success was:
- Their 14th Top-Flight Title – This leaves them third overall, four ahead of Man City but six behind both Man United and Liverpool.
- Their Fourth Premier League Title – They are fourth on this list but now just one behind Chelsea. Next are Man City, with eight Premier League crowns, and Man United, with 13.
- Arteta’s Second League Title – He won the SPL as a player with Rangers but this is his first championship as a manager.
- Arteta’s Fourth Trophy as Gunners Boss – That includes the 2019/20 FA Cup, plus the Community Shield in both 2020 and 2023.
The Numbers That Defined Arsenal’s 2025/26 Campaign
There are so many stats in the modern world of football, and here we take a look at some of the ones that we feel really defined the success the Gunners had across the 2025/26 season.
Defensive Solidity Key
There are several stats that show just how good Arsenal’s defence was over the course of the season. Critics may have questioned their style and tactics but you do not get points for artistic merit in football. Arsenal may not have been the most exciting or free-scoring sides in Premier League history, but they got the job done. Only Man City outscored them over the 38 league games, but the Gunners boasted a much better defensive record, and that proved crucial in helping them win the title.
- Best Defensive Record in the Premier League – Arsenal conceded just 27 goals all season, an average of 0.71 per game. Man City were next on 35 but the third-best side, Brighton, conceded a massive 46.
- Most Clean Sheets – There was a period when it seemed nobody could score against Arteta’s men. Indeed, they kept clean sheets in exactly half of their games. Their haul of 19 defensive shutouts was three more than City managed and seven better than third-placed Crystal Palace. David Raya was magnificent for the Gunners, securing 19 clean sheets from the 37 games he played, far more than any other stopper.
- xG – Love it or loathe it, xG stats are a huge part of modern football. Raya had a brilliant season, but the players in front of him ensured he did not have all that much to do. Arsenal conceded just 28.3 xG according to Fotmob. The next lowest was City on 44.2.
- Shots on Target Conceded – In a record-equalling six games, Raya essentially didn’t have anything to do at all! Since records for this metric began in 2003/04, no side has prevented their opponent from having a single shot on target in more games than Arsenal managed in 2025/26.
- Best Stats in Europe – Arsenal were top of the pile domestically, overall and in terms of several defensive metrics, but they also boasted the best defensive numbers across Europe’s “Big Five” leagues. No side can better their low tallies of goals conceded per game, shots on target conceded (2.4), shots per game faced (8.2), or average xG conceded (0.74).
Masters of the Set Piece
Arsenal may not have scored as many goals as their boss or fans would like, certainly not from open play. However, they were brilliant at set pieces, both in attack and defence. They have several players who are exceptional at attacking corners and freekicks (and long throws), while the delivery of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and others must be a nightmare to try and defend against.
- 23 Goals from Set Pieces (Excluding Penalties) – The Gunners netted 23 times from set pieces, easily the highest in the top flight. That was more than 20% higher than Man United and Spurs, who both recorded 19. However, Arsenal’s xG from set pieces was 20.6, while United and Spurs both registered less than 15 on that metric. Note that again these stats are from Fotmob. Other stats sites put the goals-scored figure at 25.
- 19 from Corners – Arteta’s side set a new Premier League record for the most goals scored from corners in a single campaign. Their 19 was especially impressive as they only had 216 corners, with Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool and Man City all winning more.
- But Just Seven Conceded – Gabriel, William Saliba and co were not just brilliant at attacking set pieces, they were also superb at defending them too. They were helped in this regard by Raya’s exceptional ability to command his area. Overall, they conceded just seven goals from set pieces, a number no rival club could better. Brighton matched it, but the Seagulls gave up more than double Arsenal’s xG from dead-ball situations (8.1 v 3.7).
Discipline
Arsenal may have had a little bit of luck at times in terms of refereeing decisions, but even so, the following stat is truly amazing. The Gunners became the first side in PL history to go the entire season without conceding a single penalty or having a player sent off.
Burnley and Brentford both conceded eight spot kicks, but Man City, Aston Villa and Chelsea were joint-second to Arsenal, all giving away two. As for red cards, Chelsea had as many as the second and third “dirtiest” teams combined, collecting eight reds. Six teams only went down to 10 men on one occasion, with two others, like Arsenal, never having a player sent off.
Arsenal the King of the Subs
As said, one reason Arsenal may have avoided having a man sent off is luck. But we strongly suspect that Arteta’s expert management of his resources also played a big role. The Gunners possess brilliant squad depth. This meant that the Spaniard was able to remove players who were on bookings without sacrificing quality.
But Arsenal’s boss also used his bench creatively. His substitutes scored or assisted a league-high total of 23 goals in 2025/26. The club have never managed more than that tally in any PL campaign, though they matched it in 2009/10.