Excellent defensive record has been key to Gunners’ title bid – and it will remain so in the run-in

For the past four seasons the team with the best – or joint-best – defensive record have won the Premier League. This season, Arsenal have conceded the fewest goals, and scored the most, and are top with seven games to play. There has been a renewed focus on defence under Mikel Arteta and it could pay dividends in silverware.

Arsenal finished five points behind Manchester City last season, conceding 10 goals more than the champions. In this campaign they have let in six fewer goals than the side with the second-best defensive record, Liverpool. They are conceding 0.77 goals per game compared with 1.13 last season, helped by three clean sheets in a row. They welcome Aston Villa on Sunday, knowing another could put them one small step closer to glory.