What Happened Last Season?
Arsenal enter the 2025/26 campaign on the back of three consecutive runner-up finishes. The question now is whether they can finally clear the last hurdle and be crowned Premier League champions for the first time since their Invincibles season in 2003/04.
Last season, Arsenal finished second in the league with 74 points, falling 10 points short of Liverpool’s title-winning tally of 84.
Although Arsenal finished the season with their second-place medals once again, there was a clear regression in Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side with a struggle in front of goal and a lack of creativity on the pitch. The hope heading into this forthcoming season for Gunners fans is that new signings made during the transfer window will embolden the Arsenal squad and finally bring them to the promised land.
Who did Arsenal Sign this Summer?
Viktor Gyökeres — Sporting CP
Martín Zubimendi — Real Sociedad
Cristhian Mosquera — Valencia
Christian Nørgaard — Brentford
Noni Madueke — Chelsea
Kepa Arrizabalaga — Chelsea
In short, Gyökeres arrives to fill the missing piece Arsenal have long sought: an out-and-out striker. Zubimendi comes in to take on the pivotal defensive midfield role vacated by Thomas Partey, while Nørgaard provides depth in the same position following Jorginho’s departure. Mosquera, a young Spanish centre-back from Valencia, adds depth behind the likes of Gabriel and Saliba.
Kepa Arrizabalaga joins from Chelsea in a £5 million deal to serve as the new backup goalkeeper. Noni Madueke, also arriving from Chelsea, will offer attacking options on either wing for Mikel Arteta.
Who did Arsenal Sell this Summer?
Nuno Tavares — Lazio
Kieran Tierney — Celtic
Jorginho — Flamengo
Takehiro Tomiyasu — Contract terminated
Thomas Partey — Released by club (Joined Villareal)
Raheem Sterling — Chelsea (end of loan)
Neto — Bournemouth (end of loan)
In short, Arsenal parted ways with both Thomas Partey and Jorginho this summer as they look to refresh the defensive midfield position with the arrivals of Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard.
An updated Arsenal Starting XI with their immediate depth players looks as such:
Quickfire Lineup Points:
- Leandro Trossard is still with Arsenal and available as an alternative left winger to Martinelli.
- 15-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman has played a decent amount in preseason and may be featured in the Arsenal squad in a limited fashion for the upcoming Premier League season.
- Noni Madueke joined from Chelsea and will provide further options for Mikel Arteta’s wing attackers.
- Nwaneri will likely split his minutes played between a 10 role, covering for Martin Ødegaard, and his right wing role when covering for Bukayo Saka.
- New arrivals Zubimendi and Nørgaard bring Arsenal a completely new look at the CDM position.
Can Viktor Gyökeres Provide Goals?
Viktor Gyökeres’ transfer saga was one of the summer’s longest-running stories, with Sporting CP unwilling to let their star man leave. After prolonged back-and-forth in the media, Arsenal finally secured their top target for £55 million plus £8.7 million in add-ons.
A quick look at Gyökeres’ goal contributions for Sporting CP across all competitions:
- 2023/24: 50 appearances — 43 goals, 14 assists (57 total goal contributions)
- 2024/25: 52 appearances — 54 goals, 12 assists (66 total goal contributions)
Over the past two seasons, he has been an outright goal-scoring machine. His quality is undeniable at the level he is coming from, but the Premier League presents new challenges. Will Gyökeres deliver the goals Arsenal desperately need? My belief is yes.
During preseason, Gyökeres has at times struggled to see much of the ball or make a major impact, aside from his towering, well-placed header against Athletic Bilbao. Arsenal fans, however, should not be discouraged. It will take time for the Swedish striker to find his footing in the Premier League, but he is precisely the profile Mikel Arteta has wanted – an out-and-out striker for the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Declan Rice to find in the box and in behind defences.
In the Bilbao match, Gyökeres opened his Arsenal account with a header from a superb Martín Zubimendi delivery. Against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in preseason, fans saw glimpses of his pace, strength, and power.
With the players and creativity that Arsenal have surrounding Gyökeres, I believe that once he finds his footing, his never-quit attitude, high work rate, natural athleticism and goal-scoring ability will see him flourish in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Who is Max Dowman?
Max Dowman is Arsenal’s next young star to rise out of Hale End, following in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Miles Lewis-Skelly.
Born on December 31, 2009, Max Dowman is a 15-year-old superstar of the future for Arsenal who can operate in the attacking midfield and right wing areas of the pitch – which Arsenal fans have seen him do throughout the preseason.
It is unknown how much time on the pitch Max Dowman will be allotted in the Premier League this season, but a simple eye test reveals that the youngster is well at the level necessary to make appearances at the first-team level and fit right in. Throughout the preseason, Max Dowman showed his unwavering nerve on the ball, his dribbling ability on the wing, and he has successfully won his Arsenal side two penalties (against Newcastle United and Villareal). Max Dowman is yet another player coming out of Hale End that Gooners will be very excited to see and watch.
Arteta’s Tactics and New Midfield Plan
Arsenal’s favoured Starting XI will look as such:
Arsenal will look to create numerical overloads on the wings and in the half-spaces when in possession in the opposition’s half, with Martín Zubimendi often operating in a single-pivot role. The use of a true single pivot has brought success to several Premier League title winners in recent years, with Manchester City’s Rodri widely regarded as the best in the world in this position.
Ryan Gravenberch also thrived in the role for Liverpool last season, helping the Merseyside club secure the league title. Zubimendi’s importance to Mikel Arteta’s side cannot be overstated heading into the upcoming campaign.
Going along with Arsenal’s desire to create numerical overloads against opposition low blocks, their fullbacks on the opposite side of the ball will look to tuck into the deeper midfield on their respective sides of the pitch to allow Zubimendi to move freely to the side of possession and allow for even more numbers to move forward.
In the image shown above, the ball is on Arsenal’s right-hand side, with Miles Lewis-Skelly dropping deeper into the back line and the left side of midfield in case of a loss of possession. Meanwhile, Martín Zubimendi rotates to help create a numerical advantage for Arsenal.
The same can be expected when the ball is with Arsenal’s left-sided players, as Ben White, Jurrien Timber, or any player operating at right fullback will drop deeper to cover the opposition’s counter-attacking threats. Meanwhile, Martín Zubimendi will rotate toward the side in possession to provide numerical advantages or outlet passes to safety before progressing the ball to his attacking teammates.
When both of Arsenal’s fullbacks step high, Zubimendi will operate in a deeper area of the midfield with the option at times to drop further back into Arsenal’s back line (creating a back line of three) as seen below:
Defensively, Arsenal will, as always, rely on their forward players to apply a high and aggressive press. When possession is lost, Arteta expects his team to counter-press aggressively, aiming to regain the ball in the opposition’s half.
However, throughout preseason, Arsenal have looked somewhat shaky in defensive transitions. Opponents have found success on the counter-attack while Arsenal presses, often exploiting gaps in the midfield and back line. Although this may be a concern for Arteta and his coaching staff, Arsenal’s defensive record last season was impressive, conceding a league-low 34 goals in the Premier League.
Competition for Places at Fullback
Arsenal enter the 2025/26 campaign with strong competition for places in the full-back positions on both flanks. On the right, Jurrien Timber and Ben White will battle for the starting role, while on the left, Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, and Oleksandr Zinchenko will each look to stake their claim. Timber also offers valuable versatility, with the ability to operate effectively on the left side if required.
Lewis-Skelly appears the most likely to earn Mikel Arteta’s trust as the first-choice left-back, while Ben White is expected to start the season as the preferred option on the right. However, Timber’s strong performances in 2024/25 particularly during White’s injury absence suggest he could break into the starting XI as the season progresses and I believe that he will do so.
Will Arsenal Improve from Last Season?
Yes, with Arsenal’s work in the transfer window I do believe that they will see improvement in quality of play, goalscoring, and total points from last season. Will it be enough to be crowned champions though?
What are Arsenal’s First Three Fixtures?
Arsenal play three Premier League matches before the international break takes place:
Manchester United vs Arsenal (at Old Trafford) – Sunday, August 17
Arsenal vs Leeds United (Emirates Stadium) – Saturday, August 23
Liverpool vs Arsenal (at Anfield) – Sunday, August 31
Arsenal 2025/2026 Season Prediction
Viktor Gyökeres provides the out-and-out striker Arsenal have long needed, while Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard return fully fit after injuries in the 2024/25 season. The team still boasts the Premier League’s best defensive pairing in Gabriel and Saliba, and now has a specialist single-pivot midfielder in Martín Zubimendi.
With a revamped central midfield and a new Swedish striker leading the line, Arteta’s side has what it takes to challenge for silverware this season.
The only remaining task for Arsenal fans is to hope and pray that Arteta’s team can get the job done – especially against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who enter the 2025/26 season as title favourites. Considering the significant investment Liverpool have made to defend their crown, this will be no easy task.
Prediction: 2nd in the Premier League
