The Gunners are not only Premier League leaders but also look impossible to take the ball away from and come back against.
After three straight seasons chasing Manchester City and Liverpool but ultimately falling short in the end, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta decided that 2025-26 was going to be their year. And so far, it very much looks like it is.
The Gunners reclaimed 1st place in the Premier League table last weekend. Pep Guardiola and his Citizens momentarily took it but sit 2nd, two points behind them.
It was a rare moment in which Arsenal lost what was theirs, something that hasn’t happened much (nearly at all) this season. They are also top of the Uefa Champions League and the only team to have won 100% of the points so far.
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While his former mentor Guardiola seems to be shifting his footballing philosophies into a slightly more direct and chaotic approach, Arteta has gone the other way.
Opta data shows that Arsenal lead the 2025-26 Premier League in possession while ahead in the score. They had already logged 50.0% in this regard last season, but have gone up to 54.5% this campaign.
City, on the other hand, have gone from 58.0% last year to 53.5% so far.
Modern football allows teams to invert certain patterns that, a few decades ago, would seem illogical. Throughout time, having the ball and an attacking approach was a synonym of risk. Now, retaining possession can be one of the best ways of defending yourself.
Arsenal hadn’t led the league in this specific stat since 2013-14, under Arsene Wenger. The Premier League looked a lot different back then, with Manuel Pellegrini in his first season at Etihad Stadium, David Moyes replacing Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho returning to Chelsea and Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers.
The closest team to the Gunners, in fact, was none of the above. Instead, it was Swansea – that started the season with Michael Laudrup at the helm.
One thing that has helped Arsenal take control of games when they are ahead is dominate the midfield. Possession-based teams usually have their centre-backs as players with the most touches and pass attempts. Not 2025 Arsenal, though.
Leaving the ball with central defenders can be a very effective weapon, but easily countered should the opponent move their lines up and press them. Soon enough, they will have to pass it back to the goalkeeper and often get rid of the ball hoofing it long.
By controlling the middle third, though, you have more ways out. A lot of teams go forward to then go backwards and get room to operate. Or even pass it back to attract pressure and free up space further up the pitch.
Midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are Arsenal’s leaders in touches this season in the Premier League. The only other teams to have two midfielders in the top-2 are Newcastle United (Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (Joao Gomes and Andre).
And those are two teams built on chaos and transitions, not to mention a constant rotation of centre-backs.
Zubimendi in particular has been an excellent addition to the squad in this regard. The Spaniard is one of the best at retaining and recycling possession, dictating tempo and how the team goes. A lot more than his predecessor Thomas Partey, for instance.
The last time a midfielder led the Gunners in touches in a league season was in 2020-21 (Granit Xhaka).
There is also something to be said about how Arsenal sense the emotional swings of a game and capitalise on them. Last matchweek against Everton, for example, they had their best moments after scoring the opener and seeing the Toffees be denied a penalty.
It looked like Mikel Arteta’s men (and the referees as well) drained the confidence of the Everton players. And as soon as he sensed that, they attacked.
In addition to all that, Arsenal are the team with the fewest points dropped from winning positions. Just two so far, the same as Aston Villa and Liverpool.
If the Gunners ever go up in a Premier League game, good luck to the opposition.