This week our statistician looks at Arsenal's record over the final 10 league games of previous seasons.
Arsenal go into the final 10 games of the Premier League season knowing they have risen a place during this timespan in each of the last two seasons, and were unbeaten over the final 10 games last term.
Throughout Arsène Wenger's reign, Arsenal have taken an average of 2.1 points per game during the last 10 matches of a league campaign, slightly higher than the 1.95 points per game average for the rest of his Premier League fixtures, meaning there is generally a slight upturn in form over this period.
"There is generally a slight upturn in form over this period"
From the 210 cumulative 'run-in' games Arsenal have played in Premier League history, there have been 119 wins (56.6 per cent), 52 draws (24.8 per cent) and 39 defeats (18.6 per cent).
On average they score 18.3 goals and concede nine during the last 10 fixtures.
Three times Arsenal have remained unbeaten for the entirety of the last 10 games of a Premier League season, most recently last season, and prior to that in the title-winning seasons of 2001/02 and 2003/04.
Arsenal have never lost more than three of their final 10 league fixtures under Wenger.
Records for last 10 league games of season
Season | W | D | L | F | A |
1992/93 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 |
1993/94 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 11 |
1994/95 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 13 |
1995/96 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 6 |
1996/97 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 6 |
1997/98 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 7 |
1998/99 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 |
1999/00 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 13 |
2000/01 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 9 |
2001/02 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 9 |
2002/03 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 12 |
2003/04 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 8 |
2004/05 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 4 |
2005/06 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 9 |
2006/07 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 12 |
2007/08 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 10 |
2008/09 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 11 |
2009/10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 10 |
2010/11 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 16 |
2011/12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 10 |
2012/13 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 5 |
Arsenal would need to rise two places to become champions, or avoid a drop of more than one place to finish in the top four.
If the Gunners do claim a top-four place again, it would extend the existing club record for consecutive top-four finishes to 18. The Club's previous best run of top-four finishes was five in a row - from 1930/31 to 1934/35 inclusive.
In Arsène Wenger's 17 seasons in charge, Arsenal have improved their final placing nine times during the run-in, dropped four times and remained the same four times.
The biggest rise was three places (from fifth to second in 1999/2000) while the biggest drop was two places (from first to third in 2007/08 and second to fourth in 2010/11).
The Gunners' points tally last season of 26 from the final 10 games was the Club's second best in Premier League history, beaten only by the 100 per cent record in 2001/02.
Statistically March is the most successful month for Premier League games since Wenger took over in 1996, with a points-per-game rate of 2.23. The win percentages for April (59.2 per cent) and May (58.8 per cent) are also higher than the overall average under Wenger (58 per cent).
Last 10 games of Premier League seasons
Season | Points earned during last 10 games | Position with 10 games left | Final position | Change in last 10 games |
1992/93 | 10 | 9 | 10 | -1 |
1993/94 | 14 | 4 | 4 | -- |
1994/95 | 11 | 9 | 12 | -3 |
1995/96 | 18 | 7 | 5 | +2 |
1996/97 | 20 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
1997/98 | 24 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
1998/99 | 25 | 2 | 2 | -- |
1999/00 | 25 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
2000/01 | 20 | 2 | 2 | -- |
2001/02 | 30 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
2002/03 | 18 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
2003/04 | 20 | 1 | 1 | -- |
2004/05 | 25 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
2005/06 | 23 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
2006/07 | 13 | 3 | 4 | -1 |
2007/08 | 18 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
2008/09 | 23 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
2009/10 | 17 | 3 | 3 | -- |
2010/11 | 11 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
2011/12 | 18 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
2012/13 | 26 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
Premier League results per month under Arsene Wenger
P | W | D | L | PPG | |
March | 61 | 42 | 10 | 9 | 2.23 |
April | 76 | 45 | 23 | 8 | 2.08 |
May | 51 | 30 | 9 | 12 | 1.94 |
Before the home straight in the league campaign though, the team have an FA Cup quarter-final against Everton to play on Saturday.
"This is the first time Arsenal have been drawn at home in the first four rounds of the FA Cup since 1949/50"
It is Arsenal's 40th appearance in the last eight of the famous old cup, from 115 campaigns - they have progressed on 26 previous occasions (66 per cent).
It's the 10th time Arsène Wenger has reached this stage of the FA Cup - he has won eight of the previous nine, including the only FA Cup quarter-final Emirates Stadium has ever hosted, against Hull City in 2009 (2-1).
Arsenal haven't lost a home game in the FA Cup quarter-final since 1988, but overall the records are very similar at this stage of the cup, wherever they are playing (home: P23 W13, away: P24 W13).
This is the first time Arsenal have been drawn at home in the first four rounds of the FA Cup since 1949/50, when the Gunners went on to lift the cup. In fact that year Tom Whittaker's side won the FA Cup without playing outside London at all, beating Liverpool at Wembley in the final.
All stats correct as at March 4, 2014
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