Arsenal are leading the way in the Premier League, heading into the World Cup break ahead of reigning champions Manchester City by a five-point margin.
The Gunners have dropped just five points in the English top flight so far this season, losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford and drawing 1-1 away to Southampton. Mikel Arteta's side remain the only side with a 100% win record at home in the Premier League after City lost 2-1 to Brentford on the final weekend before the World Cup.
A successful summer transfer window has seen the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos and Matt Turner, which has strengthened the squad depth at the Emirates Stadium. The improvement in key areas of the squad has helped Arsenal keep pace and even surpass City, as shown by a key stat in terms of expected points per game.
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The Gunners had a poor start to last season, which ended with Arteta's side missing out on a top-four spot at the expense of their north London rivals Tottenham. This season is a different story for Arsenal as they continue to fight at the top of the table with City, which looks set to continue until May.
Looking at a comparison between the 2021/22 table after gameweek 14 and the 2022/23 table before the World Cup break, Arsenal have significantly improved. There has been a five-place improvement in terms of league position for the Gunners this season which has been helped by a mix of new signings, returning loanees and improved player performances.
The comparison also highlights the positive change in goal difference (+25) compared to last term with the north Londoners having picked up 14 more points at this stage of the season compared to last year. Arsenal have five more points than Chelsea who were the league leaders at this stage last season, as the Blues eventually fell away from the title fight but Arteta will be hoping the same won't be said for the Gunners.
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