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by Tony Attwood
The game against Southampton this weekend has only one meaning and that is that Arsenal need to avoid sinking to the depths of third place in the league. To achieve this Arsenal have to avoid the goal difference between themselves and Manchester City sinking by eight goals or more.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 37 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 85 | 40 | 45 | 83 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 37 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 67 | 33 | 34 | 71 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 37 | 20 | 8 | 9 | 70 | 44 | 26 | 68 |
And that thought made me wonder if any club had been in such a bad way as our hosts for the last match – Southampton – currently are, pending the 38th game of a Premier League season. The answer came with a look back to the table at the close of the 2007-08 season. In that campaign Derby’s victory over Newcastle was their only league win of the season, and having been relegated, long before the end of the campaign, they dutifully lost all of their last six games, including a 2-6 home defeat to Arsenal on 28 April 2006.
Arsenal’s goals on that day (in case you enjoy the occasional visit to memory lane) came from Nicklas Hendtner, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and three from Emmanuel Adebayor
Arsenal came third that season and it is interesting to compare their results then with now.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Arsenal 2007/8 | 38 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 74 | 31 | 43 | 83 |
| 2 | Arsenal 2024/25 | 37 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 67 | 33 | 34 | 71 |
Arsenal will obviously end up with a considerably lower points total than in 2007/8 although a higher position, with fewer goals scored, but a better defence. (Arsenal would need a 7-0 win to catch up the goals scored – which is possible. We got 1-7 back in March, so it is within reach!
But whatever happens Arsenal will end up with 71, 72 or 74 points this season, considerably down on the 88 amd 91 points of the last two campaigns. But just how bad is 74 points, (which is the most likely total?)
Well since the start of this century (obviously 25 years ago) only in nine of the subsequent seasons have Arsenal beaten this points total. Which is to say only in a minority of seasons have Arsenal got over the 74 points marker. In these seasons Arsenal won the league twice, come second twice, third three times, fourth once and fifth once.
But the huge difference between those seasons and this season, is that in seven of those seasons Arsenal scored fewer goals than we have scored this season, which is interesting considering all the chitchat about Arsenal’s poor scoring record. So even with a league goal scoring record that shows that in terms of league matches our top scorers have been Kai Havertz with nine, plus Martinelli and Trossard each on eight, Arsenal are able to come second in the league and fourth in the goal scoring table for the season!
Of course, I would admit that for goal scoring it has been an awful season in the sense of having a top scorer. And yet despite all this Arsenal are still the fourth highest scoring team in the league with, for example, four more goals than Chelsea who have had nothing like the problems that Arsenal have faced this season in relation to injuies.
The point therefore could well be made that if with all these injuries to forwards (and remembering that there was a time when all three regular forwards – Havertz, Martinelli and Saka – were injured Arsenal) are still the fourth highest scoring team in the League. It is not surprising therefore that the Telegraph can run the headline “Sorry Tottenham, but trophyless Arsenal had the better season”
This is not to say that having a season without winning anything is ok, but it is important as we try and give a certain level of perspective.
In the current league table before the final game of the season the top seven are way out in front of the rest
| Pos | Team | Pts 2024/25 | Pts 2023/4 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 83 | 82 | +1 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 71 | 89 | -18 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 68 | 91 | -23 |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 66 | 60 | +6 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 66 | 63 | +3 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 66 | 68 | +2 |
| 7 | Nottingham Forest | 65 | 32 | +33 |
| Tottenham Hots | 38 | 66 | -28 |
Tottenham Hotspur, if you are interested, are 28 points lower than last season with one game to go. Some of their fans however are probably far too busy celebrating being in the Champions League next season to notice, which I do find slightly amusing. Arsenal’s drop of 18 points (which may well of course reduce to a drop of 15 points after the final game) is undoubtedly due to injuries. Not every club can say the same. And surely on that front, next season can’t possibly be as bad.
