“Arsenal falls, and only Manchester United escapes consecutive defeats.”

Arsenal is sinking and leaves only one giant intact: Manchester United is the only club in the Premier League without consecutive defeats this season!

The heavy defeat of Arsenal against Manchester City, by 2-1, last Sunday, confirmed the crisis that has plagued the Gunners this black April. Following the home loss to modest Bournemouth (1-0), Mikel Arteta’s team has now accumulated two consecutive defeats, a scenario that few clubs have managed to avoid in this turbulent season of the Premier League.

This costly setback for Arsenal highlights a surprising statistic: only one club in the English top flight has yet to fall into the trap of consecutive defeats this season – Manchester United. Despite having lost seven times so far, the Red Devils have shown impressive resilience, bouncing back from each setback with six wins and one draw. The most recent proof of this ability was the victory over Chelsea, which followed the defeat against Leeds United.

To provide context, the last time Manchester United suffered two consecutive defeats in the Premier League was in May of last year, during a challenging period that included losses to West Ham, Chelsea, and Brentford. Since then, the Old Trafford club has maintained remarkable consistency, despite the difficulties faced.

Interestingly, even the mighty Manchester City has not been immune to consecutive slips. In August of this year, the English champions suffered defeats in back-to-back matches against Tottenham Hotspur at home and Brighton & Hove Albion away. This demonstrates how the Premier League is more unpredictable than ever.

If we look at the lower divisions of English football, the pattern remains. In the Championship, no team has suffered consecutive defeats so far. In League One, only Bolton Wanderers and leaders Lincoln City have avoided this negative situation. Meanwhile, in League Two, three clubs – Bromley, Cambridge United, and Chesterfield – have yet to taste the bitter experience of two consecutive losses, with Bromley already securing promotion.

This analysis reveals the brutality of competition in English football, where consistency is a luxury that few can afford. For Arsenal, the mission to avoid a total collapse in this final stretch of the season becomes increasingly urgent, while Manchester United capitalizes on its ability to recover to remain relevant and strong in the race for the top of the table.

Get ready, because the Premier League is showing that losing twice in a row is the new normal – except for the rare survivors like the Red Devils, who continue to defy the odds and surprise their rivals.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.