Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted he was caught completely off guard by a significant statistic underpinning his team's impressive Premier League campaign this Christmas.
A Stark Contrast in Discipline
The Spaniard revealed he had no idea his Gunners currently top the Premier League's Fair Play table, boasting the best disciplinary record in the division alongside their position at the summit of the league itself. This marks a dramatic turnaround from the previous season, where Arsenal were shown five red cards, a figure that drew criticism and hampered their consistency.
Last term, high-profile dismissals included Declan Rice's controversial sending-off against Brighton for a second yellow card after nudging the ball away, and a similar fate for Leandro Trossard against Chelsea. Other players to see red were Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, and William Saliba, with some rival players, notably from Manchester City, accusing Arsenal of employing "dark arts".
Smarter and More Street-Wise
This season, however, the story is profoundly different. While Arteta's passionate touchline demeanour remains, his players have displayed far greater control on the pitch. They are yet to receive a single red card in the 2025/26 Premier League season, a key factor in a campaign that has seen them lose just twice in all competitions and also lead their Champions League group.
"I didn't know," Arteta confessed when informed of the Fair Play leadership. "That is good, very good." He reflected on the costly nature of last season's indiscipline, specifically recalling Rice's dismissal against Brighton. "I was very hacked off in the manner that we played with ten men. So hopefully it is going to be very different this time."
The manager suggested a shift in the game's landscape, stating, "I think the rules are different now." He referenced the incident where former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira was sent off for kicking the ball away in frustration this October, though the Premier League denies any change in the threshold for such offences.
Injury Updates and Brighton Challenge
Looking ahead to a crucial festive fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion this Saturday, Arteta was full of praise for the Seagulls and their manager Fabian Hurzeler. "Well, obviously, it is a club that I admire a lot," he said, noting their "incredible" work over the past decade and their versatile, committed style under the new boss.
The match holds added significance as Arsenal dropped points in their next five games after facing Brighton last season. The South Coast club has also won three times at the Emirates since April 2022.
In a significant boost for the title challengers, Arteta provided a positive update on Kai Havertz, who has been sidelined since August with a knee injury requiring surgery. "(He is) quite close. I think it will be a matter of days, not weeks," the manager revealed, hailing the German as a player who "brings the team into a different dimension."
The news is less certain regarding defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who suffered an adductor injury on Brazil duty last month. He has only returned to individual training, with Arteta stating, "We have to wait and see... hopefully as quickly as possible [he can be back], because we know the situation now we have in the backline."
With a cleaner disciplinary sheet and key players nearing returns, Arsenal's dual position at the top of both the Premier League and the Fair Play table could prove a formidable combination in their pursuit of a first league title since 2004.
