We head to Chelsea on Saturday looking to maintain our unbeaten start to the campaign, and can also create a little piece of English league history in the process.
So far this campaign, we have won all three of our away matches. The run began at Crystal Palace where Martin Odegaard’s penalty sealed success, while a Leandro Trossard strike beat Everton. Then a fine 4-0 win over Bournemouth saw us maintain our 100 per cent start on the road, with our defence remaining perfect in terms of goals conceded.
This is just the second time we have kept a clean sheet in our first three away league games, with the other occasion coming in 1995/96 when we ironically lost 1-0 at Chelsea in our fourth road game that campaign.
Therefore, should we leave Stamford Bridge with the three points plus another clean sheet this weekend, we would become the first side in top-flight history to win each of their first four away games in a season without conceding.
The teams to win their first three top-flight away games without conceding:
- Leeds United - 1970/71
- Manchester United - 1975/76
- Queens Park Rangers - 1987/88
- Chelsea - 2005/06
- Manchester City - 2015/16
- Aston Villa - 2020/21
- Arsenal - 2023/24
Whether we record another shutout or not, earning maximum points from our first four away games has only been recorded twice in our history before, back in 1903/04 and 2004/05.
The omens point to a good result at the home of the Blues, as we go in search of our fourth straight win at the venue. That in itself is also a rare feat, as we could become the first team since Watford in the 1980s to string together four successive victories as an away side at the Bridge.
Our supporters will be hoping that they’ll have another away day to remember on Saturday, and there have been plenty to choose from since the start of last season.
In that time, we have won more points (48) and games (15) on our travels than any other side in the Premier League. We’ve conceded fewer away goals (18) than any other ever-present side during this period, as well as kept the most clean sheets on the road (13).
Encouragingly for Mikel Arteta, this season we have kept the most clean sheets (4) and conceded fewer goals (6) than any of our Premier League rivals - and should our defence once again hold firm against the Blues, a place in the record books could well be ours.
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