4 reasons why Arsenal will finish in the top 4 this season | Premier League 2019-20

#3 David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi repaying the faith

Shkodran Mustafi has been Arsenal's best defender. Yes, you read that right.

Who would've guessed that a 33-year-old David Luiz and an out-of-favour Shkodran Mustafi would turn out to be Mikel Arteta's most important defenders?

A long-term injury to Calum Chambers, Arsenal's best defender this season by some distance, followed by constant fitness problems for Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney have collectively led to the club's defensive struggles.

However, things appear to have changed for the better as Luiz and Mustafi have been putting improved performances in the last couple of weeks. The Gunners have kept 5 clean sheets in 12 games under Arteta, as much as they kept in 21 games under Unai Emery.

From having a negative goal difference under Emery, Arsenal's goal ratio under the former Manchester City assistant manager is 19:10, i.e they have scored nearly twice as much as they've conceded, an impressive stat considering that the same defenders who were incredibly unreliable under Emery are now turning up with defensive masterclasses under their new gaffer week in and week out.

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