Move over Fergie… It’s ‘Arteta Time’ now! Under boss Mikel, Arsenal are top of the table for last-gasp points won in the Premier League this season – so where does YOUR team place?

• No side has won more points in the final five minutes than Arsenal this season  
• Mikel Arteta’s side have turned into a team mixing stubbornness and confidence
• Man City are vulnerable, but come the spring they will put on the afterburners. Leaders Arsenal must seize their moment now – Listen to It’s All Kicking Off 

Within the space of just a few seconds on a cold Tuesday night, Declan Rice suddenly brightened up the forecast of every single Arsenal fan’s week. 

Having twice led the game, the Gunners were heading for a disappointing 3-3 draw with Luton at Kenilworth Road before a late, late winner from Rice triggered scenes we are growing more and more used to these days. 

Yes, the game perhaps should not have reached this point for the side looking to go five points clear at the top, and yes, there were errors in the game that proved costly for the visitors, but that suddenly mattered a whole lot less. 

Goals at the tail end to rescue a point are becoming a trademark of Mikel Arteta’s never-say-die Arsenal, and it is a very important part of their resurgence in the last two seasons to become one of the teams to beat. 

The problem for the chasing pack is that they become almost impossible to beat when even time seems to be on their side. 

Declan Rice snatched a late, late victory for Arsenal on the road at Luton on Tuesday night

With the Gunners heading for a 3-3 draw the England star’s header made it 4-3 to the visitors

It was the 24-year-old’s second goal after the 90th minute so far in his first season at the club

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Since the start of 2022-23, Arsenal have scored 13 goals in the 84th minute or later, which has earned them 18 points in total, six of which have been scored in just 15 games this season. 

With less than half the season played, the Gunners are one away from matching their tally of goals after 84 minutes from the entirety of last term – a campaign in which the north London club of course came gut-wrenchingly close to taking Manchester City’s throne.

Sure, the newly-accepted practice of adding increasing amounts of time to the end of games helps in this endeavour. Six minutes were added on on Tuesday night for example, but that is also the same for every team, not just the Gunners. 

The fact of the matter is, and cliched though it may be, the best teams have always found a way to turn one point into three, or indeed none into one, at the death. 

We need look no further than Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and the infamous ‘Fergie Time’.

Fergie Time was a phrase often used derogatorily by rival fans both irritated and envious at United’s impressive record for late goals, but the fact remains that Ferguson’s side had a fantastic knack for getting results out of nowhere. 

In the 20 years between 1992-93 and 2012-13, United scored 81 of their 1627 goals after 90 minutes – which roughly translates to around five per cent. It was a side that refused to give up, and that is something becoming increasingly apparent in Arteta’s Arsenal. 

There has been greater drive and togetherness among the squad in the last two seasons than Gunners fans had seen for almost two decades, which is a huge contributor to their recent success. 

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Man United scored five per cent of their goals after the 90th minute

Gabriel Martinelli scored the all-important goal that saw Arsenal beat Manchester City at home in the 86th minute

Add that to players with composure and calmness on the ball late in the game, such as Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Rice, and the half-hearted long balls up the pitch are gone, replaced with cool heads that trust in the process – another regrettably accurate cliche. 

In fact, no Premier League team has ever won as many games in a single calendar year than Arsenal have (five) in 2023 – and Rice played a part responsible in both results.  

These goals more often than not snatching victory from the jaws of defeat have been spread across the team as well, which further underlines the widespread confidence and fight in the team.

Since the start of last season, 10 different players have cropped up with a goal after 84 minutes; it’s not just one player determined to steal a late win, but a whole group that refuses to lay down arms.

No team in 2023-24 has picked up more points after the 86th minute (eight), with Leandro Trossard’s 84th-minute equaliser at Chelsea just short of boosting that stat up to nine. 

The Gunners have dropped two points in the final five minutes, but that still leaves them with a net point difference of six, joint with Wolves and West Ham at the top of the table. 

Usual suspects Liverpool (+5), Aston Villa (+4), Manchester United (+4) and Spurs (+4) complete the top seven, but Man City find themselves surprisingly in 12th on -1 points. 

The reigning champs let in a late equaliser against Tottenham – as well as losing to Arsenal in that massive win for the Gunners in October – in their run of three successive draws. By Pep Guardiola’s standards, that’s nothing less than DEFCON 3. 

Mikel Arteta has rebranded his team into one that is stubborn yet filled with confidence

There is a togetherness in the Arsenal squad that bleeds into their play and makes them harder to keep out 

Cole Palmer did score a 90+5th-minute penalty in the thrilling 4-4 draw at Chelsea, but Rodri’s strike to give the visitors a 4-3 lead came after 86 minutes as well, meaning that with five to play City were still taking just a point from the game. 

Needless to say though that the spot-kick will count as another two dropped points to Guardiola. 

Another surprise, Newcastle seem to run out of steam late in the game, failing to pick up a late point so far this term, with Eddie How’s side fourth-bottom on -3.

For fans of West Ham, Aston Villa, Brighton and Chelsea, the final five minutes seem to be a stress-free occasion with their teams not dropping any points as yet in the closing stages, but nor have the Blues or Seagulls picked any up. 

The other sides not to make in-roads at the death are Burnley, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sheffield United, who unsurprisingly prop up the table on -5 along with the Cherries. 

The Magpies find themselves sixth in the Premier League, but only 17th for points picked up after 85 minutes, with City’s disparity at nine places, too. 

Everton, however, rank 10th for late points, but are only in 18th spot in the table after their 10-point deduction, while Wolves are nine places better off and West Ham seven in the late goals table compared to their real-world standing.

Manchester City won the title last season despite Arsenal leading the race for most of the campaign

Pep Guardiola’s side are only 12th in the table based on points won in the final five minutes this term

Arsenal have become both confident in their abilities and too stubborn to lose under Arteta

But the fact that the teams at the top and bottom in the two tables are the same is perhaps indicative; where Sheffield United are largely struggling to keep pace overall, Arsenal would appear to be staking their early claim to the title, and this is reflected in their output at the death.

It belies the rebranding of the team under Arteta. Where once the Gunners could wilt under a slightly more than average amount of adversity, they now appear too stubborn to even contemplate losing.  

To use a third and equally painful cliche, the teams that can find a way to win no matter the situation are usually the ones that go on to lift the trophy.

After the heartbreak of last season the questions then arises: could ‘Arteta Time’ and all it represents prove to be the difference for the Gunners this time round? 

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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