How many times has Arsenal missed out? Reviewing Arsenal's record of losing the Premier League title after leading the table at matchday 23.
On 27 January 2026, BBC Sport revealed an interesting but unfortunate statistic for Arsenal, the current Premier League leaders. After matchday 23 of the 2025-26 season, Arsenal suffered a home defeat to Manchester United, losing 2-3.
1. Arsenal 50 points
2. Manchester City 46 points (goal difference +26)
3. Aston Villa 46 points (goal difference +10)
4. Manchester United 38 points
5. Chelsea 37 points
6. Liverpool 36 points
Currently, Arsenal's lead over Manchester City and Aston Villa has narrowed to just 4 points. In the Premier League era, Arsenal has led the table after matchday 23 on three occasions, but in two of those seasons, they ended up missing out on the title, as follows:
2002-03 season (5-point lead) - finished 2nd
2003-04 season (2-point lead) - champions *finished 1st
2022-23 season (2-point lead) - finished 2nd
2025-26 season (4-point lead) - final position ?
In the next Premier League match, Arsenal will visit Leeds United on Saturday, 31 January, kicking off at 22:00 GMT+7.