Emery& #39;s first season at Arsenal saw us finish with 70 points, we were in a top 4 race till the last few weeks. But underlying data shows how lucky we were. Expected points: 59. Expected position: 7th. Massive overperformance which ultimately proved unsustainable.

Point I& #39;m trying to make is why xPts is an important metric to consider when you look at a team& #39;s progression. A team like Brighton will go up levels when they buy a new striker.

Somehow people have construed this as a defense for Arteta. Not sure how it is a defense when he is also 7th on xPTS. I& #39;m just giving an example of why its important and why it& #39;s vital to look at these underlying metrics - not just things at face value.