Arsenal fail in attempt to equal PL record Obi Mikel helped Chelsea set in 2008-2009

Arsenal's aim to equal a Premier League record first set by Chelsea in the 2008-2009 season was unsuccessful after they conceded twice in a 3-2 win versus Tottenham Hotspur in a north London derby clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta's team must have thought they were home and dry after establishing a three-goal lead courtesy of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's own goal and additional tallies from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz inside 38 minutes.

Goals from Tottenham duo Cristian Romero and Heung-min Son set up a nervy finish for the Premier League table-toppers. 

Before their visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Taiwo Awoniyi was the last player to score against Arsenal in an away game, on January 30, 2024.

Arsenal had their sights set on becoming the third club in Premier League history to keep seven consecutive clean sheets on the road. 

They were on the brink of matching this record until 26 minutes remained, when Romero capitalized on a mistake by goalkeeper David Raya and slotted home to make it 3-1.

The initial record was set by Chelsea under Luiz Felipe Scolari, between September and December 2008 when they posted seven shutouts and later in that season, Manchester United also replicated the feat from November 2008 to February 2009.

Nigeria legend John Obi Mikel was a key member of the Chelsea side that set the record for successive away clean sheets, going the distance in games against Stoke City, Middlesbrough, Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, West Brom, Bolton Wanderers and Everton.

A powerful midfielder with excellent positional sense, Mikel was on the books of Chelsea for ten and a half years, during which he won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup twice, and the Champions League and Europa League, too.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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