Arsenal are doing one thing very differently to Man City and Liverpool in Premier League title race

The Gunners are battling for the Premier League title with Liverpool and Manchester City

Arsenal have started the Premier League season in fine form. The Gunners are unbeaten in their first six games, winning four and drawing two.

That record sees them third in the table, just a point behind early leaders Liverpool and level on points with champions Manchester City. But Mikel Arteta's team are doing something very differently to the other title challengers already this season.

Normally in the current footballing climate, playing out from the back is the done thing. However, that is not the case for Arsenal so far in 2024/25.

According to stats revealed by fbRef.com, Arsenal keeper David Raya sends goal-kicks long more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League. In six matches so far, Raya has kicked the ball long 79.5% of the time, which seems incredible to say for a top team.

In contrast, Liverpool's Alisson sends the ball long just 10% of the time, with Manchester City's Ederson kicking long 26.1% of the time. There are clearly occasions for sending the ball long, as Liverpool and City have shown.

Arsenal's north London rivals do not believe this, however, with Guglielmo Vicario having not sent a single goal-kick long so far this season.

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The Gunners' record of kicking the ball long is extremely high in comparison to the rest of the Premier League too, with their figure almost 20% more than that of the next highest - Everton - who kick the ball long from a goal-kick 59.6% of the time.

It is not having any adverse effect on Arteta's side clearly, with the team third in the table so far. The likes of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and now Mikel Merino can get onto the long balls forward and hold the play up for their teammates to get around them.

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