Arsenal are capable of breaking a long-standing Premier League record held by Chelsea that club legend John Terry claimed was unlikely to ever be surpassed.
The reigning champions continued their fine start to the new campaign on Saturday night, grinding out a 2-0 win against Sunderland at a hostile Stadium of Light.
Second half goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka earned the Gunners a sixth straight win in all competitions and sent them back to the top of the fledgling table.
A fifth clean sheet of the campaign, however, was only preserved courtesy of another goalkeeping masterclass from David Raya, whose penalty save from Enzo Le Fee proved to be the turning point of an evenly contested game.
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The Spain international won a third consecutive Golden Glove award last season after achieving 23 shutouts.
Even without the likes of William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera, Arsenal’s mean machine looks as formidable as ever, especially with Ezri Konsa settling immediately following his summer move from Aston Villa and Jurien Timber back to full fitness.
Indeed, Arsenal are defending with such purpose and determination that Tony Cascarino believes Chelsea’s all-time record of just 15 goals conceded in their 2004/05 title-winning campaign is under threat.
He told talkSPORT: ‘I call them the anaconda team because they literally suffocate you and strangle you. In ever department they are brilliant, they are the team to me who could beat Chelsea’s goals against column.
‘What Chelsea achieved a number of years ago I thought would never get beaten. This Arsenal team, whether it’s this one this season or even further down the line they are going to concede so few goals.
‘I was looking at their numbers last night and last year they conceded two against Man City and it was like mid-April and never conceded two after that.
‘They only conceded three once and that was against Manchester United. If you remember that game at the Emirates two of them were wonder goals. You have to get wonder goals against Arsenal because they just don’t give you anything.’
Terry was the cornerstone of that infamous Chelsea rearguard that also boasted the talents of Ashley Cole, William Gallas and Ricardo Carvalho, backed up by a world-class goalkeeper in Petr Cech.
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Arsenal made a similarly impressive start to the previous campaign, during which Terry conceded he feared Chelsea might be replaced in the history books.
Ultimately, Arsenal fell some way short of matching that Chelsea achievement and Terry celebrated in style after Arteta’s side were beaten 3-2 at home by Manchester United.
‘January the 25th, 2026, and the record is safe,’ he said on TikTok. ‘Petr Čech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricky Carvalho, William Gallas, it’s time to celebrate.
‘Can this record of 15 goals conceded in one season ever be beaten? I’m saying no. I have to say, I was a little bit worried, the way Arsenal started the season, but it’s only January and the record is already gone. It’s safe for another year.”
In another Instagram post, Terry shared an image alongside Carvalho from the 2004–05 campaign. ‘Let’s set a f—— record that will NEVER be beaten,’ he wrote.