Behind the numbers of our superb start to 2022/23

With 14 games of the Premier League season now in the books, we're sitting top of the pile where we'll remain until Christmas as the World Cup takes place.

It's been an incredible start to the campaign for Mikel Arteta and his players, with 12 wins, one draw and just one defeat ensuring we sit five points clear at the top of the table.

We've dug into the statistics and pulled out some of the more impressive numbers that have led us to where we currently are:

Record start

 

Our tally of 37 points from our opening 14 games is the most we have ever amassed at this stage of the season. Indeed only two clubs have ever made a better start to a Premier League campaign – Manchester City (40 in 2017/18, 38 in 2011/12 and 2018/19) and Liverpool (40 in 2019/20).

 

It has taken us to the top of the table, and our five-point cushion over second-placed City is the biggest lead we’ve had since December 2013. This will be the first time we will be top at Christmas since 2007, and only the third time overall in the Premier League era.

 

After the first 14 games of last season, we had 23 points (and sat fifth), while in 2020/21 we had managed 14 points at this stage, and were in 15th. On average during the Premier League era, we have taken 26.6 points from the opening 14 games.

We’re also the only team to have scored in every game so far this season, netting 33 in total and conceding 11. No team has conceded fewer, and no team has kept more clean sheets (seven, including six away from home).

 

We’ve scored 14 goals in the first half of games, and 19 in the second half. More than half (17) have been scored left-footed, ten right-footed and five headers (as well as one own goal).

Players

 

Arteta has called upon 23 players so far, with eight of them playing in every game. Of those, Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel have been on the pitch for every minute.

 

We’ve had 10 goalscorers with Martin Odegaard leading with six, while Bukayo Saka has contributed six assists.

 

We have also fielded the youngest team on average so far this season, at 24 years and 219 days, Southampton are the next youngest at 24 years and 307 days, followed by Leeds United (25y 115d), Brentford (26y 105d) and Wolves (26y 153d).

 

Our average age was brought down by the inclusion of Ethan Nwaneri – who came on against Brentford in September at the age of 15 years and 181 days – the youngest ever player in Premier League history.

 

Only three of our players so far this season are 30 or older – Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny (both 30) and Cedric (31).

 

Opta stats show that William Saliba has had the most touches (1,056) and completed most passes for us this season (865), Saka has created the most chances (29), Gabriel Jesus has had the most shots on target (20) and won most duels (108) while Gabriel Martinelli leads the way for penalty box entries (84).

Home and away

 

Two games have been postponed from the first part of the season – both due to be played at the Emirates – against Everton and Manchester United. That means that only six of our 14 games so far have been at home, compared to eight for the rest of the current top four.

 

And we’ve won all six of those home matches – the only team with a 100 per cent record, and one of only two to remain unbeaten at home during the first part of the campaign (along with Newcastle).

 

Away from home we’ve scored the second most (14, Leicester have scored 16) and conceded the fewest (four, of which three were at Old Trafford).

 

Looking purely at results between last season’s top six, we are second in the head-to-head, with nine points from a possible 12. Perhaps significantly, Manchester City have only played two such fixtures so far, compared to our four.

 

We’ll resume after the World Cup break with a home game against West Ham (currently 16th) on Boxing Day, then travel to Brighton (seventh) on New Year’s Eve and host Newcastle (third) on January 3, before starting our FA Cup campaign.