Arsenal Poised to Shatter Historic 122-Year Club Milestone
While Arsenal's set-piece excellence captures media attention, their outstanding defensive form has positioned them to shatter a 122-year-old milestone for successive shutouts.
The North London club's record for consecutive clean sheets across all tournaments stands at eight. This achievement was initially reached between April and October 1903, and Arsenal could match this benchmark by keeping Slavia Prague scoreless on Tuesday in Champions League action.
Their present run started on Oct. 1 versus Olympiacos. The Gunners completed October's entire schedule without allowing a goal across six fixtures.
The table-toppers' backline featuring David Raya through to Gabriel and William Saliba is delivering rewards on multiple fronts. Even squad rotation players including Myles Lewis-Skelly, Piero Hincapié and Ben White are making their mark as boss Mikel Arteta manages his personnel's fitness levels.
Should Arsenal succeed against Slavia Prague, they would have the opportunity to establish a new benchmark of nine consecutive shutouts on Saturday, Nov. 8 versus Sunderland.
2025–26 Arsenal Defensive Record
Competition | Games Played | Clean Sheets | Goals Conceded |
|---|---|---|---|
Premier League | 10 | 7 | 3 |
Champions League | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Carabao Cup | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Arsenal have recorded 12 shutouts in 15 matches this season spanning the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup competitions.
Their most recent goal conceded occurred on Sept. 28 during a 2–1 triumph over Newcastle United at St. James' Park. Prior to that, an Erling Haaland strike in a 1–1 stalemate with Manchester City and a spectacular free-kick from Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai in an Anfield defeat were the sole instances to breach Raya's goal. The Liverpool loss remains their only setback this campaign.
Arsenal join Inter as the only sides maintaining perfect defensive records through three Champions League fixtures. The Gunners face the Italian powerhouse in January.
Gabriel Emerges as Arsenal's Standout Performer This Season
Though their defensive stability reflects Arteta's collective philosophy, Gabriel anchors Arsenal's achievements.
Beyond supporters' appreciation for the Brazilian's commanding attacking set-piece displays, his defensive contributions earn equal recognition during matches. Gabriel has registered five goal involvements—two strikes, three assists—across 15 outings. His latest contribution came assisting Viktor Gyökeres in a 2–0 victory at Burnley.
Jamie Carragher recently identified the Brazilian as an early candidate for Premier League Player of the Season recognition.
Despite the lengthy campaign ahead, Gabriel positions himself as a potential first defender since Rúben Dias in 2020–21 to claim the award. This becomes increasingly likely if Arteta's squad sustains their exceptional defensive form while pursuing championship glory.