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Arsenal's miserly defence has conceded three Premier League goals so far this season and manager Mikel Arteta hopes their fortress-like foundation can finally deliver the silverware that has eluded the North London club for so long.With David Raya in goal and the commanding centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, clean sheets have become Arsenal's trademark in this campaign. Arsenal have conceded just three times in the league this season and have kept three successive clean sheets in the Champions League, meaning their defensive record after 12 matches is the best in the club's 138-year history. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side of 20 years ago let in just 15 goals on their way to winning the league, which is a Premier League record.Their defensive solidity even extends to Europe where the formidable back line remain unbreached after three Champions League games and will be put to the test again when the Premier League leaders host Crystal Palace tomorrow."We hope that these records that we are getting a lot bring silverware at the end and the trophies that we want. But the more we can produce, the closer we are going to be able to achieve what we want to do," Arteta told reporters. "Our defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent. It's only the start of the season and our aim is to keep improving things, which we can do to keep getting better."The teams with the best defensive records, most of the time, apart from the last three seasons in the Premier League, you normally win the title. The stronger we are with the foundations, the more probability we have of winning."While Arsenal's defensive wall has frustrated opponents, it's their prowess from set pieces that has been rewriting the record books at the other end of the pitch. Arsenal have already plundered 10 goals from set plays in eight games, the earliest any side has reached double figures for set-piece goals in Premier League history.Arteta admitted he knew set pieces – including free-kicks and corners – would be essential to any success during his Arsenal reign. Crucially, Arteta was doing his coaching badges when he met Nicolas Jover, who would later become set-piece coach at Brentford before joining Arsenal in 2021. Jover has been instrumental in Arsenal's remarkable ability at set-pieces.Arteta credited the training ground obsession that has turned dead-ball situations into Arsenal's secret weapon. "First of all, creating the culture, giving to that part of the game the importance it has," he said. "Also, understanding that football is evolving and the way opponents are acting against us, we have to maximise certain things that happen very frequently. Something that happens very frequently has a lot of value to us, so we try to maximise that and be effective."Tomorrow's encounter carries extra significance after Palace held Arsenal to a damaging 2-2 draw in April, a result that effectively handed Liverpool the title initiative. "It's the fourth game in a row that we have played against an opponent that we dropped points against last year," Arteta said. "This season we've been able to beat them, so our focus is on continuing that."The match also gives attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze the chance to face his former club after the England international's 68mn move in August. Local boy Eze scored the winner for Palace in last season's FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley as the South London club won 1-0 to lift their first major trophy. "For Ebs (Eze) we know it is going to be a very special match with the history and what he did for Palace, but the focus is on the team," Arteta added.

Viktor Gyokeres says he is eager to respond to manager Mikel Arteta’s call to take his goal-scoring momentum into the Premier League, after Tuesday’s impressive performance against Atletico Madrid. Attacker Gyokeres ended a run of seven games without a goal by scoring twice in Arsenal’s 4-0 rout of Atletico in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium.It took the 27-year-old’s tally for the Gunners to five goals following his £58mn ($77mn) transfer from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 times in 102 appearances.Gunners boss Arteta challenged Gyokeres to keep the goals coming, with Arsenal back in domestic action against London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday. “I’m more hungry now,” said Gyokeres. “You always want to contribute with work rate and other stuff, but when you score goals as well, it’s a bit special. So that’s something I always want to do.“The group we have and the spirit is something different and something very special. When you win games and you do these performances, it builds confidence in the team. The belief has to always be there, but of course this helps to boost it. We just want to keep going like this.”Manager Arteta said Gyokeres fully deserved the ovation he received from the Arsenal fans. “I think he deserved it because everything that we were seeing in terms of what he was bringing to the team and how much he was helping the team in many areas, apart from scoring goals in the last few weeks,” Arteta told reporters.“There was no debate about that. It was about keeping that belief in himself, that emotional state that he can enjoy and play freely. I look at his teammates as well, in the picture and the video, they are all so happy for him.”His opening goal was a messy affair as his weak shot dribbled into the net via a deflection while his second came from yet another Arsenal set piece with Gabriel heading a corner into the path of the Sweden international.“He makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable. He’s so physical, the way he presses the ball, holds the ball, that’s phenomenal,” Arteta said. “He’s scored two very different ones today, and hopefully he starts to get some momentum and a good run of goals.”Arsenal have won their three games in Europe so far this season with as many clean sheets. They have conceded just three goals this term, away to champions Liverpool and Newcastle and at home to Manchester City, with just one of those coming from open play, in their first 12 fixtures.Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who has posted five consecutive shutouts, said: “I give clean sheets the same credit as goals. If we’re keeping clean sheets, it’s going to make games easier to win. It’s really, really important for the whole team, not giving away that many chances and being very, very solid. The depth of the squad is incredible. We have a lot of players who can play in two, three or four positions. (Mikel) Merino came on as a striker (against Atletico), but he can play as a number six, eight, or as a number 10, and that is the variety that the boss has and he is using it to our advantage. It gives us an extra level in training and in games, because if you are not at it you can lose your spot and everybody is on board with that.”Premier League table-toppers Arsenal will head into this weekend’s round of fixtures with a three-point lead over second-placed Manchester City. Liverpool are a further point adrift.