Premier League Best Defences: Arsenal's 27 Conceded
By Arasi Rex · Updated 15 August 2026 · 6 min read
When you line up the Premier League best defences side by side, the answer to the title race is obvious. Arsenal conceded 27 goals in 38 games, eight fewer than Man City, and that gap at the back settled a season in which City scored more. Arsenal's 85 points were built on the most reliable foundation in the league, a defence that did not need a late rescue.
The Premier League best defences: the teams that conceded least
A table sorted by goals against, not points, changes the order in useful ways. The two title contenders hold the top two spots, but the next three teams are not the teams that finished third, fourth and fifth.
| Rank by goals against | Team | Position | Goals against | Goals for | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 1 | 27 | 71 | +44 | 85 |
| 2 | Man City | 2 | 35 | 77 | +42 | 78 |
| 3 | Brighton | 8 | 46 | 52 | +6 | 53 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 7 | 48 | 42 | -6 | 54 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 4 | 49 | 56 | +7 | 65 |
Brighton had the third-best defence in the league but finished eighth because their 52 goals were not enough to turn 46 goals against into a top-four place. Sunderland also conceded only 48 but scored 42, which is why they finished seventh despite the fourth-best defensive record. Aston Villa, fourth in the real table, conceded 49. That was solid enough for a top-four finish, but 22 goals more than Arsenal. Defending alone does not buy a top-four spot. It has to be paired with enough goals. What the table shows is that without a top-three defensive record, a team needs to score a lot just to stay in the conversation.
Key numbers
Arsenal finished with 26 wins, 7 draws and 5 losses. They scored 71, conceded 27, and posted a goal difference of +44 and 85 points. Man City scored 77, the most in the league, but conceded 35, the second-lowest total. The attacking gap was six goals in City's favour. The defensive gap was eight goals in Arsenal's favour.
Those numbers produced a seven-point title margin. Arsenal won 26 games to City's 23 and lost one fewer. City's final five matches read DWWDL, while Arsenal closed with WWWWW. A defence that conceded 27 allowed Arsenal to turn tight games into wins; City's 35 conceded left them with two extra draws and an extra defeat.
The gap to the rest is larger. Arsenal conceded 19 fewer than Brighton, the third-best defensive team. Man City were the only other club to keep their total under 40. Manchester United, Aston Villa and Everton all conceded 49 or 50, and Liverpool conceded 53. The distance between the top two and everyone else is the real story of the season.
Top performers
The individual scoring data makes the defensive point sharper. Brentford's Igor Thiago scored 22 goals, the most in the division. Arsenal's leading scorer on the list, Viktor Gyökeres, scored 14, and Bukayo Saka added 7. Combined, those two Arsenal players scored 21, one fewer than Thiago on his own. A team that wins the title without a 20-goal striker has to find an edge somewhere else. Arsenal found it in the goals against column.
Man City's scoring was even more spread out. Their top scorer on the list is Phil Foden with 7, yet they scored 77. The goals were shared, but the defence was not as reliable as Arsenal's. City conceded 35 and finished second. That is the narrow line between a title and a runner-up finish.
Chelsea had three players with 10 goals or more: João Pedro scored 15, Cole Palmer 10 and Enzo Fernández 10. That attacking spread produced 58 goals, but Chelsea still finished tenth because they conceded 52. For context, the champions conceded 27.
What it means
Arsenal's title was a defensive title. They scored fewer than City and did not have a player close to the top of the scoring charts, but they conceded 27. That is why they finished with 85 points. The rest of the league has to decide whether to copy that model or find a way to outscore it.
Manchester United finished third with 69 goals, the third-highest total in the league, but their 50 conceded was closer to Crystal Palace and Everton than to Arsenal and City. United's issue was never scoring. A 50-goal concession total is why a 69-goal season only produced third place. Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko each scored 11 for United, but the defence still held them back.
Aston Villa finished fourth with 65 points. They scored 56 and conceded 49, so they were 15 goals worse than Arsenal in attack and 22 goals worse in defence. Villa's top scorer on the list, Ollie Watkins, scored 16. That was enough to reach fourth, but the gap to the top remains a defensive gap.
At the bottom, the same pattern is even clearer. West Ham conceded 65, Wolves conceded 68 and Burnley conceded 75, the worst total in the league. All three filled the bottom three places. The two worst defensive teams finished 19th and 20th.
The Premier League best defences list explains the final table better than the points column alone. The top two defensive teams finished first and second. The bottom two defensive teams finished 19th and 20th. In between, good defending pushed Brighton and Sunderland into the top half, and weak defending dragged down West Ham, Wolves and Burnley. The title was not won by Arsenal's attack. It was won by the 27 goals they refused to concede.
Key takeaways
- Arsenal conceded 27 goals in 38 games, the fewest in the Premier League and eight fewer than Man City's second-best total.
- Man City scored six more than Arsenal but shipped eight more, which explains why the final points gap was seven.
- Brighton had the third-best defensive record with 46 conceded but finished eighth because they scored only 52.
- Manchester United's 50 conceded, not their 69 scored, left them 14 points behind Arsenal.
- Burnley, Wolves and West Ham all conceded 65 or more and filled the bottom three places.
FAQ
Who has the best defence in the Premier League? Arsenal conceded 27 goals in 38 games, the best defensive record in the league. Man City were second with 35, eight more.
Which team had the third-best defensive record? Brighton conceded 46 goals in 38 games. They finished eighth with 53 points because their 52 goals scored were not enough.
How many goals did Manchester United concede? Manchester United conceded 50 goals in 38 games. They finished third with 71 points, 14 behind Arsenal.
Which team conceded the most goals? Burnley conceded 75 goals, the most in the league. Wolves conceded 68, West Ham 65 and all three finished in the bottom three.