Soccer
Arsenal may only be two games into their Premier League title defence, but Mikel Arteta already feels the pressure is on to pick up points.
The Gunners maintained their 100% start to the season on Monday as Bukayo Saka’s second-half strike clinched a 1-0 away win over Aston Villa.
It is the seventh time in the last eight seasons that Arsenal have won their opening two matches of a Premier League campaign, and the fifth time in a row.
And, as is so often the case, it was their rock-solid defensive work that made the difference at Villa Park.
Arsenal did not allow a single shot on target, the 16th time they have achieved that feat in a Premier League game in the last five seasons – that is twice as many as second-best Liverpool (eight times).
And, across the first two matchdays of 2026-27, Arsenal have faced the fewest shots (11), the fewest shots on target (one) and allowed their opponents the lowest combined expected goals figure (0.52 xG) of any team.
Manchester City and Chelsea – as well as newly promoted Hull City – are also on maximum points, and Arteta knows that even at this early stage, every win is hugely important.
He told Sky Sports after full-time: “We are in the second game and it’s like, ‘we have to win this game!’
“We know that last year was the same. We know the level, we know how difficult it is for every team to earn points in this league, so we have to be really proud tonight.
“It’s a massive win. It’s a tough place to come and earn the three points. I think we deserved it.
“It was a great squad performance – because when 11 wasn’t enough, the finishers came in and did a magnificent job to finish off the game.
“Last year we lost here in a really difficult way, with the last kick of the game, and that was still in the tummy.”
1-0 – Tonight was Arsenal’s 14th Premier League victory by a 1-0 scoreline in the last three seasons – six more than any other club has in that time.
Trademark. pic.twitter.com/2XgzYwAPGE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 31, 2026
On Monday, Arteta became just the second person to both play (284) and manage (250) at least 250 Premier League games, after Mark Hughes (played 297, managed 466).
He is only the 10th manager in Premier League history to oversee 250 games with a single club, and only Pep Guardiola (70.8%), Alex Ferguson (65.2%) and Jurgen Klopp (62.6%) have overseen at least 250 matches while bettering his 60.4% win rate (W151 D48 L51).
The Spaniard was also asked if Arsenal would be active on the final day of the transfer window, with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez touted as a high-profile target, but he is leaving any late business to others at the club.
“I don’t know. That’s for the people upstairs,” he said when asked directly about Alvarez.
“I’ve been disconnected for a day because I don’t want anything related to that. My focus has to be on the game. We have the right people at the club to look after that. “
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