It was a night to forget when Arsenal re-opened their 2019/20 Premier League campaign at Manchester City on Wednesday.
Heading into half-time still on level terms, a David Luiz mistake saw Raheem Sterling take advantage, and Luiz’s inexplicable foul on Riyad Mahrez in the second-half led to City’s second from the penalty spot, taking the game away from the visitors.
A late third from Phil Foden just added insult to injury, however, the defeat also revealed a stat that will surely alarm Arsenal supporters.
According to the Daily Mail, it was the 25th straight away game against either City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham that the Gunners have failed to win.
The record stretches back to 2015 when, at the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal headed back to London with a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud.
Of those matches, 10 were drawn and 15 lost, per the Daily Mail, with only one clean sheet achieved at Stamford Bridge in 2017.
It certainly brings into sharper focus the job that Mikel Arteta has ahead of him in the immediate and longer-term.