Alan Shearer and Micah Richards make ‘disrespectful’ Arsenal comparison to previous title winners

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Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have compared Arsenal to a previous Premier League team that won the title.

Mikel Arteta’s team beat Fulham 1-0 on Saturday evening to move three points clear at the summit of the English top flight.

The Gunners have conceded just three goals all season, and this imperious defensive form looks as though it could provide them with the foundation for an outstanding season.

While the functionality of Arsenal’s performances is prompting critics to lament them and their style of play, Arteta will undoubtedly be delighted with the position his team finds itself in.

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Micah Richards and Alan Shearer compare Arsenal to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea

Arsenal haven’t conceded a shot on target in back-to-back Premier League games now.

This is the first time the Gunners have managed this feat since the 2003/04 season, where they famously went unbeaten and lifted the title.

One of a number of astounding stats that highlight Arteta’s outfit’s defensive solidity, they’re also now on pace to beat Chelsea’s goals conceded record from the 2004/05 season.

Jose Mourinho’s side conceded 15 in 38 league matches, while Arsenal are now conceding at a rate which will allow just 14 goals to hit the back of their net.

This has, unsurprisingly, prompted many to compare the Gunners to that Chelsea team. Speaking on the Rest is Football, Micah Richards says he didn’t want to compare the two sides, while Alan Shearer argued that it was certainly an apt comparison.

“Wherever they lose the ball, they always get back into shape very quickly,” Richards said.

“That could be the difference between them winning the league this year and not.

“In terms of their defensive shape and everyone knowing their roles, I don’t want to say it’s a Mourinho-type, it’s not even a disrespect, but they can adapt to what they need, and that’s going to set them in good stead for that title this season.”

“I don’t think that’s disrespectful. Mourinho’s Chelsea were absolutely outstanding,” Shearer responded.

This is one key difference between Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal

There are some similarities between Mourinho’s 2003/04 side and the current iteration of Arsenal – the obvious being that both teams are or were excellent defensively.

However, the way Chelsea maintained an unparalleled record at the back was very different.

Most notably, Mourinho’s dynasty came before the era of high pressing. They weren’t expected to do this and the opposition didn’t do it to them.

This meant that the way they defended was often by ceding possession for long periods and not allowing teams to play through them.

Arsenal, more often than not, defend with the ball. They use their territorial dominance to keep teams as far away from their goal for long periods of matches.

While the Gunners are flexible and can sit deep, generally their approach is to contain the opposition by conservatively keeping possession, which wasn’t a strategy that was seen in the mid-2000s, but has risen to prominence in the era of Pep Guardiola.