Arsenal: The 5 massive positives Mikel Arteta has inspired

4. Improved the defence

In the 15 games prior to Mikel Arteta’s arrival, Arsenal kept just one clean sheet and conceded 28 goals. They were disastrous defensively, from the lack of pressing in attack to the utter disorganization and individual mistakes across the backline. It was calamitous, and it routinely left them grasping late in games for desperate and undeserved points. Arteta immediately set about improve this, and he has made terrific progress.

In his 15 games in charge, Arsenal conceded just 12 goals with seven clean sheets. It is a marked improvement. Dig a little deeper and the numbers continue to prove the defensive growth that the team has made under Arteta. In the Premier League, Arsenal allowed five or more shots on target in 61% of matches under Unai Emery. Under Arteta, that figure has halved to just 30%.

Moreover, the team now makes 2.1 interceptions more per game and runs 1.66 km further per game, a clear sign of the increased work-rate across the pitch and the greater intensity in the collective high press. Arsenal are substantially more organised under Arteta, they play with a greater intensity, focus and energy, and the individual mistakes have been minimised, if not completely eradicated. And it all results in a team that now knows how to defend.