After approximately three months since Arsenal’s last competitive game, the Gunners are set to return to Premier League action with a trip to Manchester United.
Mikel Arteta’s side have finished in second place in all of their last three campaigns, albeit the most recent was a battle to be the ‘best of the rest’ after Liverpool comfortably won their second Premier League title.
In the eyes of many fans of the club and football, Arsenal need to win silverware this season. The Gunners now hold the unwanted record of being the longest-serving ‘big-six’ club without winning a trophy after North London rivals Spurs ended their drought in May.
Ahead of a difficult opening set of fixtures, six new faces have made North London their home. The most notable of these is striker Viktor Gyökeres, who swapped Lisbon for the capital in a move that cost the Gunners over £60 million. Arsenal will be hoping that he can fire them to a first Premier League trophy in over 20 years.
The VAVEL team have come together to provide insight into Arsenal’s forthcoming season and answer the most anticipated question: can the Gunners finally get their hands on the Premier League title?
2024/25 Season Recap
Arsenal had high hopes going into the 2024/25 season, but their targets would go unfulfilled again.
A tough schedule to start the season showed that the 'Big Six' are not the nightmare of years past for the Gunners. Arsenal earned a 2-2 draw with Man City while down to ten men, beat Tottenham at their ground for the third campaign in a row, and also defeated Aston Villa 2-0 on their first away day.
But the injuries were already indicating this campaign would not go to plan. By October, Martin Ødegaard was already out with an ankle twist, and Bukayo Saka picked up a knock on national duty with England. Dropped points to Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Chelsea followed, and hopes of fighting for the league title for the third year running were in jeopardy.
The nail in the coffin was a hamstring tear for Saka in December, while the Reds were running away with the top spot. In January, the Gunners then exited the FA Cup to ten-man Man United and were all but out of the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 semi-final first leg loss to Newcastle United at home.
The Toon wrapped up the job before a midseason trip to Dubai that saw a hamstring tear for Kai Havertz. Champions League dreams were the only thing to keep the campaign alive a little longer.
A 7-1 rout of PSV Eindhoven practically booked a spot in the quarter-final, where wins over Real Madrid were the highlight of the year. However, Paris Saint-Germain displayed what it means to have talent at the truly elite level and extinguished the aspirations for a first major honour since 2020.
Words by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere
Transfer Activity
Arsenal have been busy this summer as they look to finally make the leap to Premier League glory under Mikel Arteta.
Having come close to achieving their goals, only to finish second for three seasons running, it seemed a strong summer transfer window was necessary to push the Gunners over the edge.
The arrival of Andrea Berta left supporters eager to see how the Gunners' transfer window would shape up, and the Italian wasted no time in getting to work.
Swedish goal-machine Viktor Gyökeres was just one of six signings Arsenal have completed ahead of another mouth-watering season, with time left for them to add to that number. Having scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting Lisbon, the Swede joined Arsenal as their new Number 14 in one of the biggest deals of the summer.
The Gunners have strengthened in all areas of the pitch, bringing in Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to replace the outgoing Jorginho and Thomas Partey, whilst Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga have also joined the North London outfit.
With the window far from over, Arsenal will now turn to player sales with rumoured interest in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira potentially next on the agenda.
Arsenal would then be expected to return to the negotiating table with a certain Eberechi Eze supposedly hot on the lips of the powers that be at the Gunners.
It has also been reported that 19-year-old centre-back Jeremy Jacquet is heavily admired by Arteta and Arsenal, although he has recently signed a new deal with Rennes.
Words by Charlie Sturtivant
One to Watch: Noni Madueke
The supply from Chelsea to Arsenal has been a frequent, if ill-fitting path for many players during the last two decades. Could the latest newcomer from the Blues be the man who breaks this trend?
Noni Madueke moved from West London for an initial fee of £48.5 million that could rise to £52 million with add-ons. When the likes of Mohamed Kudus and Joao Pedro have gone across England for comparable fees, it is understandable that some fans feel that this transfer was not the right choice.
Yet, the 23-year-old is a talent in his own right, and he might be waiting for the right place to explode.
Thanks to a sharp start, Madueke scored seven goals and assisted three more in the Premier League last year. Only Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer contributed more goals for Chelsea than he did.
But even as his output dried up, he highlighted how he was the best of the bunch as a wide threat in the squad. Enzo Maresca trusted him to play as a left winger over Jadon Sancho or Pedro Neto for stretches of the run-in. His directness, use of both feet, and varied threat threw more curveballs into the attack and were part of the reason that the Blues banked a spot in the top four of the standings.
Now, the Gunners are getting a player who can be a backup to Bukayo Saka and offer something different to Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard. It is a heavy price to pay, not least to their pride, but Madueke is a man with a point to prove and is likely to be a key part of success this season.
Words by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere
Strongest XI
Even with all of the options in the defensive roster, there is clarity about who does what. Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba are the rock of the back four, while Myles Lewis-Skelly does the job of inverting from left back the best. Ben White will overlap and he has a bigger passing range, but Jurrien Timber is the lockdown defender of the two right backs, who could rotate game to game.
The midfield is not dissimilar. Christian Norgaard adds stability, but Martin Zubimendi should be the typical Spanish conductor at the base of this unit. His arrival means Declan Rice will remain as a box-to-box presence while the club captain, Martin Ødegaard, offers a creative spark from the right.
All eyes are on the attack. Bukayo Saka stands out as the star boy of the squad, and he has nailed down his spot on the right wing. But for different reasons, the other two roles bear some uncertainty.
Many fans have become frustrated with seeing Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli as the left winger. Should they both stay, the Brazilian is more likely to start because of his age and athleticism.
The question is whether Noni Madueke can displace the pair. There have been glimpses of him on the left, and he could make the position his own to add more to the squad than being backup for Saka.
Viktor Gyökeres has the affection of the fans as a deeply desired number nine. But in equal measure, Arteta has shown an admiration for Kai Havertz, whose wages will not allow him to fade into the background. There is a chance, at least as the season starts, that the two attackers share responsibility
Words by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere
Mikel Arteta certainly has options when it comes to setting up his Arsenal side this season. The former Gunners captain has usually opted for a 4-3-3 formation where the left-back inverts to create extra space in midfield.
However, this has not always resulted in positive results on the field. Martin Ødegaard has often been accused of dropping too deep to start attacks, meaning the attacking players have had their supply dramatically reduced, resulting in a 31% decline in goals in the Premier League.
The arrival of Martin Zubimendi should allow Arsenal’s captain to return to his usual role. Zubimendi will dictate the play from deep, fizzing balls into his more attacking teammates and winning the ball back when lost. The former Real Sociedad man has the ability to play accurate long balls, which Arsenal will hope leads to a more direct playstyle that gets the best out of the likes of Gyökeres, Saka and Martinelli.
Arsenal concluded their pre-season with a victory over Athletic Club in a game that saw a double pivot of Zubimendi alongside Declan Rice. The athleticism of such a midfield excelled and should suit the fast tempo of Premier League football.
The depth in numbers now means that Arteta can be more adaptable in his approach to matches, something that the Gunners should benefit from when struggling in tighter matches. Arsenal need to reduce their number of draws. A total of 14 stalemates was the plague of the Gunners’ season and is simply not acceptable for a club that is looking to win the league.
Ahead of the new campaign, Arsenal certainly have the tactical flexibility needed to challenge for silverware, something that has not been the case before. There simply can be no more excuses.
Words by Harry Cooper-Smith
Expectations
The expectations for Arsenal ahead of the 2025/26 season remain the same as they have for the previous two campaigns: challenge for and win silverware.
The Gunners really should be claiming at least one trophy this season. An FA Cup or Carabao Cup would be a starting point, but the fans have aspirations of winning the Premier League or Champions League.
A semi-final exit to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain was no mean feat. The 5-1 aggregate victory against Real Madrid in the previous round was perhaps THE performance of the Mikel Arteta era.
Arsenal now have the squad depth to be able to challenge on all fronts this season. There can be no more excuses for Arteta. He has now spent close to £1 billion during his tenure and only has an FA Cup and two Community Shields to show for his efforts.
However, fans are still rightly behind the man who has transformed the club from failing to qualify for Europe to regular challengers for trophies. Arsenal will certainly be in the conversation when it comes to winning silverware this season.
Words by Harry Cooper-Smith.