Date: 21st September 2022 at 7:00pm
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Arsenal continue to lead the way at the top of the Premier League table after seven games and a certain trend has been crucial to the Gunners’ stellar start.

ANALYSIS

Arsenal find themselves top of the Premier League seven games in, following an impressive start to the season under the guidance of Mikel Arteta.

One of the foundations that this new-found form has been built on is starting fast in matches, which has seen Arsenal find themselves in front in five of their opening seven fixtures in the Premier League this season.

If matches finished at 45 minutes, Arsenal would find themselves comfortably at the top of the table (via BritishGambler.co.uk) but none of that matters as the Gunners still lead the way regardless

What the Premier League table would look like if only the first-half was considered…

Team P W D L F A Points GD
Arsenal 7 5 1 1 8 1 16 7
Tottenham 7 4 2 1 7 4 14 3
Man City 7 4 1 2 10 4 13 6
Nottingham Forest 7 3 2 2 4 4 11 0
Brighton 6 2 4 0 5 2 10 3
Wolves 7 2 4 1 3 3 10 0
Newcastle 7 2 4 1 3 2 10 1
Man Utd 6 3 1 2 3 6 10 -3
Crystal Palace 6 2 3 1 4 2 9 2
Fulham 7 2 3 2 3 3 9 0
Aston Villa 7 2 3 2 3 3 9 0
Everton 7 2 3 2 2 2 9 0
Chelsea 6 2 2 2 3 4 8 -1
Brentford 7 2 1 4 7 7 7 0
Leicester 7 1 4 2 5 7 7 -2
Leeds 6 1 3 2 4 4 6 0
Southampton 7 1 3 3 3 5 6 -2
West Ham 7 1 3 3 1 3 6 -2
Bournemouth 7 1 2 4 1 12 5 -11
Liverpool 6 1 1 4 5 4 4 1

The secret to the starts has been at both ends, as Arsenal have netted 8 times in the first half – the second most in the Premier League – and boast the best defensive record in the first half of matches, having only conceded one goal in the opening 45 minutes of league fixtures this season, as per BritishGambler.co.uk.

Arsenal have scored four times between minutes 15-30 (the league’s best), and that is when they are most likely to score against teams in any 15-minute period of matches, according to the data.

The defence has been magnificent so far this season and protected Aaron Ramsdale, who has only had to face 13 shots so far this season – the third lowest in the Premier League.

At the other end of the table which sees Arsenal at the summit, Liverpool are statistically the worst team in the first half of matches in the Premier League, and would find themselves bottom if matches finished at halftime.

THE VERDICT: PROGRESS IS VISIBLE

It is easy to see that a change in mentality has helped with strong starts to games, compared to last season. In the 2021/22 season, Arsenal had only four points from losing positions in the Premier League, which was the joint-least alongside 20th Norwich, who ended up relegated.

This season, the Gunners are even doing well to avoid being in losing positions and it is no surprise they have picked up eight more points than they did at this stage of last season.

October will be a key period to test the Gunners’ title ambitions and fixtures against Tottenham, Liverpool, Leeds and Southampton will say much more about a possible title charge this term.

 

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