Mikel Arteta had a very different week to his Premier League counterparts, with Arsenal progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals while Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea suffered heavy defeats. Over two legs in the last 16, those four sides lost by a combined aggregate score of 28-11, with Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle each conceding five or more goals in one leg.
Arsenal, by contrast, conceded just one goal over two legs against Bayer Leverkusen and advanced comfortably. The same Arsenal side often criticised as one of the dullest in top-flight history is now in pole position to win the Premier League, largely thanks to a defence that has conceded six fewer goals than Manchester City in the league this season.
Pep Guardiola, regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, signed Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in January but did not start him in the second leg against Real Madrid, a decision that backfired as City were overwhelmed. The article argues that the modern game has neglected the art of defending, with teams focusing on playing out from the back and pressing but failing to stop goals.
Aston Villa sit fourth in the table with a goal difference of just plus three, while Brentford are seventh with a plus four difference, highlighting that defensive solidity is often undervalued. The piece concludes that strikers win games but defenders win titles, and urges Premier League flops, including Guardiola, to swallow their pride and learn from Arteta's focus on defensive basics.
