Arsenal have made a great start to 2024 in the Premier League as they aim to win their first title in 20 years.
The Gunners were in great form, scoring 21 points in five league games in January and February.
Mikel Arteta's side defeated Crystal Palace and Burnley 5-0, and also beat Nottingham Forest 2-1.
The two most impressive results in this competition were a 3-1 home win over title rivals Liverpool and a 6-0 away win over West Ham.
But what do the statistics tell us about Arsenal's record-breaking start to the calendar year? BBC Sport is looking at the data.
No problem without a proven striker
On January 5, Arteta said there was a “possibility” the Gunners would not sign any new players in the mid-season transfer window, but the Spaniard's confidence in his current team proves that. It was done.
Later that month, Arteta said: “We have to share the same goals and we are responsible for everything.”
The Gunners were linked to: Brentford striker Ivan Toney and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen But when asked in January if he wanted a striker, Arteta added: “No, because I love our players.”
Regular striker Gabriel Jesus was injured for part of the season, missing three games with a hamstring injury.
He appeared in the first two games of Arsenal's unbeaten run, scoring one goal and providing two assists, but missed the last three with a knee injury.
The rest of Arsenal's attack has strengthened in Jesus' absence, with Arteta's side in top form. One surprising regular scorer is defender Gabriel, who is a constant threat from set-pieces and has scored three goals in recent weeks.
Important statistics that highlight Arsenal's impressive performance
Arsenal's current goal tally is their highest in a five-game period in the Premier League era. In fact, 1935 was the last time a team scored more goals in five consecutive games in a league season.
This is still a long way off from the 29 goals Chelsea scored in five games between the end of the 2009-10 season and the opening game of 2010-11. They ended a two-win season with wins of 7-0, 2-0 and 8-0 and started the next season with two wins of 6-0.
April to August 2010 | chelsea | 29 goals |
September-October 2017 | city of manchester | twenty four |
October-November 1997 | Manchester United | twenty four |
April-May 2022 | city of manchester | twenty two |
May-September 2011 | Manchester United | twenty two |
March-April 2000 | Manchester United | twenty two |
January-February 2024 | arsenal | twenty one |
December 2021 | city of manchester | twenty one |
July 2020 | city of manchester | twenty one |
For the first time in their history, Arsenal have started a calendar year with five consecutive league wins. Their current winning streak is the longest in the league this season, and they have increased their goal difference by 19 points during this period.
The Gunners became the first team in the club's history to score five or more goals in consecutive away league matches.
During Arsenal's winning streak, Bukayo Saka's contribution improved significantly. For the first time in his career, he has scored in four consecutive league games, and has scored more goals in those four games (six goals) than in his previous 19 games in the competition (five goals).
Arsenal have also scored the most goals in Europe's top five leagues so far this year, as shown in the table below.
arsenal | twenty one | Five |
liverpool | 20 | 6 |
Barcelona | 18 | 7 |
Inter Milan | 17 | 6 |
atalanta | 16 | 6 |
newcastle | 16 | 6 |
Meanwhile, Arsenal's 25 set-piece goals (including penalties) this season are the most in a single league season since Opta began recording such data in 2004-05.
The North London side have scored eight penalties in the Premier League this season, only in 2006-07 (10) they scored more.
The most important statistic, of course, is that with 13 matches remaining, Arsenal remain two points clear of leaders Liverpool. If they get off to a strong start to the year, Arteta's side could be celebrating something significant in May.