Arsenal’s Title-Winning Defence by the Numbers – The Best Backline in the Premier League

11th June 2026

Arsenal won the 2025/26 Premier League title with 85 points, and while the attack deserves credit – 71 goals scored, second only to Manchester City – it was the defence that truly set them apart. The numbers are staggering.

Arsenal conceded just 27 goals all season. In 38 matches. That’s 0.71 goals per game, and it’s a number that made the title race a formality long before the final day.

The Numbers That Matter

Let’s start with the headline stats. Arsenal’s 27 goals against was the best defensive record in the league by a significant margin. Man City conceded 35 – eight more. Brighton in third conceded 46. Nobody else was even close.

That defensive record fed into everything else:

Zero red cards across an entire 38-game Premier League season is genuinely remarkable. Arsenal were the most disciplined team in the country while simultaneously being the hardest to score against. That’s not an accident – it’s a system working exactly as designed.

The xG Story

Arsenal’s power ranking data tells the story even more clearly. According to Statz power rankings, Arsenal allowed just 0.83 expected goals against (xGA) per game – the best in the Premier League by some distance. Their defensive Elo rating of 1622.52 was the highest in the division, well above the league average of 1500.

Their overall power ranking was 1st with an xG differential of +0.92 per game. In plain terms, Arsenal were expected to outscore their opponents by nearly a goal every single match. And they did.

Gabriel and Saliba – The Wall

Gabriel Magalhaes was the anchor. The Brazilian centre-back made 172 clearances across the season, ranking him among the league leaders. He also added 34 blocked shots (5th in the league), 90 aerials won, and chipped in with 3 goals and 4 assists from the back. His average rating of 7.17 placed him 13th out of 461 players – the highest-rated defender in the league.

William Saliba alongside him was equally important. Saliba recorded 131 clearances, 69 aerials won, and committed just 22 fouls with only 2 yellow cards all season. For a centre-back playing every week in the Premier League, that discipline is exceptional.

Together, they formed a partnership that opposition teams simply couldn’t break down consistently. Between them, 303 clearances and 159 aerials won. A brick wall.

Raya – The Goalkeeper With Nothing to Do

You know your defence is doing its job when your goalkeeper barely has to make a save. David Raya made just 60 saves all season – ranking him 19th out of 20 regular Premier League goalkeepers. Only the team that had the most possession in the league asked less of their number one.

For comparison, Burnley’s Martin Dubravka made 125 saves (more than double Raya’s total). Bournemouth’s Djordje Petrovic made 108. Raya barely had to get his gloves dirty because Arsenal’s back four ensured so few shots even reached him.

The Midfield Shield

Arsenal’s defensive record wasn’t built on the back four alone. Declan Rice played a crucial role as the midfield screen, contributing 64 key passes (4th in the league) while also protecting the defence. Rice ranked 4th for big chances created (16), proving he was as much about starting attacks as stopping them.

The contrast with other teams is stark. Wolves committed 493 fouls and still conceded 68 goals. Arsenal committed 391 fouls and conceded 27. Fouling less and conceding less – that’s a team that doesn’t need to panic because they’re always in control.

The Title-Winning Formula

Arsenal’s defensive numbers added up to a simple equation: the best goals against record, the best goal difference, the fewest losses, and the cleanest disciplinary sheet. They won 26 games, drew 7, and lost 5. Their last five results before the end of the season? Five wins on the bounce.

In a league where Man City had the highest xG per game (1.95) and scored the most goals (77), Arsenal won the title by being better at the other end. The best attack is impressive. The best defence wins championships.

Explore Arsenal’s full team profile and stats on Statz.