The unique reason why Arsenal sit above Chelsea in the Premier League despite having the exact same record has been revealed. After 13 games, Enzo Maresca's much improved Blues find themselves in third on 25 points, level with Mikel Arteta's Gunners, who are currently nine points off of first placed Liverpool.
What's even more interesting is that both London clubs have managed the exact same number of wins, draws and losses, while also being tied on goal difference with the exact same goals for and against statistics. With seemingly nothing to separate the two, it has now been explained why Arsenal take priority, and it isn't down to alphabetical order.
Arsenal and Chelsea's Premier League Standings
Position
2nd
3rd
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As reported by the Daily Mail, the reason behind the current league standings stems from what occurred during Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge back in November. A Pedro Neto equaliser cancelled out Gabriel Martinelli's opener, resulting in the spoils being shared. As it turns out, this was not enough for the Blues to climb above their North London rivals heading into December.
This is because, with the table as tight as it currently is, priority is given to the team with the better head-to-head record. As the two teams drew in their only meeting this season, Arsenal hold the edge due to having a better away goals-scored record at Stamford Bridge than vice versa.
Naturally, this is down to the fact that Chelsea have yet to face Arsenal at the Emirates this campaign, meaning they have not had the chance to score any goals there. Had the first fixture been played on the Gunners' home turf and the result remained the same, it would actually be Chelsea sitting in second place in the table.
At the time of writing, the reverse fixture is scheduled to take place on 15th March 2025. The odds of the two teams still having the exact same record by matchday 29 are astronomical. However, in the unlikely event that they do, Chelsea will aim to at least outscore what Arsenal achieved at Stamford Bridge.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 02/12/2024