Arsenal statistic gives Mikel Arteta blueprint to stay in Premier League title race before Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli return

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Arsenal overcame another hurdle in their quest to overtake Liverpool to the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Leicester City.

Although it wasn’t the most inspirational performance of Mikel Arteta’s reign at the Emirates Stadium, it did show that Arsenal were capable of finding a way to win amidst their injury crisis.

The Gunners are without four of their attacking options after it was confirmed that Kai Havertz would miss the season with a hamstring injury.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli hope to return in March but Arsenal face four crucial Premier League fixtures before they welcome the duo back with open arms.

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Arsenal have conceded the fewest goals from open play in the Premier League

Arsenal currently have the best defence in the league with just 22 goals conceded and a statistic has highlighted how well they have defended as a team this season.

Fans praised Myles Lewis-Skelly’s clearance against Leicester and the intervention was just one example of the Gunners defensive efforts this season – both as a team and individually.

It sounds simple but keeping clean sheets and limiting opportunities at the back may be the only way that Arteta can keep his side in touching distance of Liverpool given the struggles in attack.

Arsenal had one shot on target in the first half at the King Power Stadium and didn’t really look like threatening the Foxes defence until the introduction of Mikel Merino at centre forward.

The Gunners can expect similarly low defensive blocks in their next two encounters against West Ham and Nottingham Forest, they need to ensure that nothing silly is given away at the other end whilst pursuing to break them down.

Defensive squad depth gives Arteta option to rotate

Whilst attacking squad depth could be at the lowest in Arteta’s Arsenal reign, defensively the Gunners have never looked stronger with the return of Ben White and the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

White could provide a different attacking option for the manager with his marauding overlapping runs down the right hand side, whilst Jurrien Timber provides defensive security and line-breaking passes.

Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori also provide Arteta with something to contemplate on the left hand side with both players again providing different strengths and qualities to the team.

One constant that the manager will not want to break is the partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who have been key to Arsenal’s outstanding defensive record so far this campaign.