Arsenal continued their incredible record against the Premier League’s elite clubs after Riccardo Calafiori’s towering header secured the three points in a scrappy win at Manchester United. This victory left Mikel Arteta’s men with a glittering statistic: 22 straight matches unbeaten against the traditional “Big Six” of the English top flight.
It’s been 844 days since Arsenal last lost to a big six rival, when Manchester City thrashed them 4–1 in a title showdown. That night in April 2023, without an injured William Saliba, the Gunners crumbled. But Arteta’s side have since evolved into a relentless machine. They’ve gone 22 games without defeat (13 wins and nine draws) against United, City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. Chelsea, in particular, have been reduced to bystanders, failing to beat Arsenal in 1,456 days.
For years, Arsenal were mocked for folding under pressure against the heavyweights. Now the script has flipped. The Gunners have now won five of their last six encounters against United. In the last 20 years, they have emerged triumphant only three times at the Theatre of Dreams, with Mikel Arteta on the bench on all three occasions.
One shadow lingered over the victory: the disappointing debut of big-money signing Viktor Gyokeres. In 60 minutes on the pitch, Gyokeres failed to register a single shot, created no chances, and looked out of sync with his team-mates. His struggles did not go unnoticed, and Arteta faces a balancing act between patience and urgency.
The celebrations at Old Trafford carried an air of defiance. Yet despite the unbeaten streak, Arsenal fans need little reminding that statistics alone don’t deliver titles. The league trophy has eluded them since the days of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles. Arteta is desperate to turn dominance into silverware. He has reshaped the club’s mentality, injected discipline and belief, but the ultimate prize remains just out of reach. This campaign could be the year where numbers turn into history.
