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Arteta will keep a key star | Getty Images
The Premier League season is nearly upon us, this is how Arsenal have faired in the last five opening fixtures.
If the 2024/25 Premier League season was something of a disappointment, rarely has a new campaign been as eagerly anticipated as the upcoming one.
Relegation was decided early, the champions strolled to the title and only the last one or two European places provided any sort of interest going into the final day. For Arsenal, there had been little jeopardy or any hope of silverware after crashing out of the Champions League. After another trophyless season, Mikel Arteta will be hoping that the summer’s recruitment has the desired effect.
A no.9 has finally been signing in the shape of the prolific Viktor Gyokeres, no stranger to English football, how he adapts to the top flight is eagerly anticipated by more than those who follow the Gunners every week. If he gets anywhere near to his Sporting Lisbon goal scoring record, his £64m fee will prove to be a bargain. In a twist of fate, the opening day fixture has an added pinch of spice.
Man Utd v Arsenal on matchday 1 throws up twist of fate
The moment Ruben Amorim was appointed as Manchester United boss, it seemed certain that Gyokeres would follow him from Portugal. Instead, The Emirates emerged as his preferred destination and now he has the chance to make his old boss suffer in a blockbuster clash at Old Trafford. Both teams will be optimistic and an early narrative could be set depending on the result.
The fundamental difference between the two teams is that United are in the process of rebuilding and trying to move on five players who have been training on their own whilst Arsenal have been building from a position of stability.
Arteta had a raft of injury problems and still managed to steer his team to second in the league and the semi-finals of the Champions League, with a clean bill of health and more squad depth, he has every reason to believe that this could be the year. A win at Old Trafford would set an early marker.
How Arsenal have fared on the opening day in the last five seasons
Opening day fixtures have been good to Arsenal and there is a recurring trend over the last four seasons. Going as far back as 2022/23, the starting XI had seven players who started for the Gunners against Crystal Palace and almost all of them could start again against United.
Only once in recent years have Arsenal dropped points on the opening day, a shock 2-0 defeat to Brentford in 2021/22, it is also the only time that they have failed to score. In the four games that they have won, nine goals have been scored and one conceded. Can they get off to a flyer once again?
Arsenal 2 – 0 Wolverhampton Wanders
Arsenal 2 – 1 Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace 0 – 2 Arsenal
Brentford 2 – 0 Arsenal
Fulham 0 – 3 Arsenal
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