The north Londoners have splashed the cash in an attempt to fine-tune their squad, and they must finally deliver on the team's unquestionable promise
From the outside looking in, this season feels like now or never for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal in their search for a first Premier League title since 2004, or their first Champions League crown .
Only once before has a team finished second for three seasons on the trot in the English top flight, and that happened to be Arsene Wenger's Gunners of 1999 to 2001. No side has ever managed that feat four years in a row, and this current crop of north London heroes will be hoping not to be the ones to break such an infamous record. 'Second again, ole ole' rang around Emirates Stadium enough towards the end of 2024-25 for this hungry group of players to use it as motivation, but the time for speaking is over and they have to do their talking on the pitch.
There's no doubting Arsenal's credentials as a team who can finish top of the league. They were unfortunate not to topple Manchester City between 2022 and 2024, but they have to show that what happened last term, allowing Liverpool the title at a canter, was a one-off. Finishing as runners-up in a division as competitive as the Premier League isn't to be sneered at, yet this is no longer about the Gunners merely competing. They have to go down as winners.
GOAL runs through Arsenal and Arteta's plans to become the kings of England again.
Getty Images SportMood around Emirates Stadium
There are two ends of the spectrum from which Arsenal supporters are entering 2025-26. The glass-half-full supporter sees this as the culmination of Arteta's project and the time for this maturing team to claim a major trophy. Those with a glass-half-empty perspective believe it's simply 'win now or else' and don't fancy their chances up against this version of Liverpool. Both of these statements can be true without being paradoxical.
Arteta has done the most to try and unite what has largely been a divided fanbase during the Emirates Stadium era. He thinks about the bigger picture, even if it leads to comparisons to 's David Brent. It's part of the reason why Arsenal are even back in their position as genuine title contenders, and for the most part, he has the backing of a worldwide fanbase.
That said, a fast start to the new season and maybe even a few scalps – they face Liverpool away from home before the international break, wink wink, nudge nudge – would do wonders for confidence, while it would also keep the naysayers at bay. Arsenal could do without the creeping threat of pessimism taking centre stage so early on given the pressure that's on them to deliver already.
There also remains some discontent, at least online, over the club's handling of the Thomas Partey case. Though Arteta and Co have stressed they cannot fully comment on that at this time for legal reasons, it will continue to loom over Arsenal when the midfielder goes to court, particularly if they draw his Villarreal side in the Champions League.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTransfer business
This has been the first transfer window with Andrea Berta instilled as sporting director, replacing the popular Edu Gaspar as Arteta's right-hand man. While we can't fully judge him until his signings have actually played competitively, the early signs are promising for his reign having improved the team in the market.
It was first reported back in January that Arsenal had agreed a £55.8 million (€64.6m/$75.6m) deal with Real Sociedad to sign Martin Zubimendi this summer, though that didn't stop the infamous Spanish press dragging Real Madrid's name into the saga and insisting the transfer hadn't yet been signed off. Nevertheless, Zubimendi will begin 2025-26 as an Arsenal player and he could be the understated key to their success.
The decision to sign Noni Madueke for £52m (€60.2m/$70.5m) from rivals Chelsea has been questioned considering how willing the Blues were to get him off their books, as well as the Gunners' regularity at acquiring players deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. However, Madueke will provide all-important cover for the continually overworked Bukayo Saka on the right wing and has shown himself a capable option off the left too.
Having run the squad thin with players that Arteta seemingly just didn't trust last term, Arsenal have added further depth in the form of veteran midfield Christian Norgaard for £12m (€13.9m/$16.3m), young defender Cristhian Mosquera for £16.5m (€19.1m/$22.4m) and backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga at a snip £5m (€5.8m/$6.8m).
And then, of course, we have Viktor Gyokeres. Hailed by many as the final piece of the Arsenal puzzle, all eyes will be on their new £63.7m (€73.7m/$86.3m) star striker. Having scored 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting CP and already boasting experience in England with Championship side Coventry City, the hope will be that the Sweden international is a ready-now solution having parked their interest in Manchester United new boy Benjamin Sesko. If you live in London, prepare to see plenty of grown adults masking their face with their hands over the course of the season.
Arsenal's net spend currently stands at around £175m (€202.4m/$237.2m) given their inability to shift the fringe players in their squad, with only Nuno Tavares at £7.6m (€8.8m/$10.3m) and Marquinhos at £3m (€3.5m/$4.1m) fetching a fee. Partey, Jorginho, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all been released.
It appears as though the Gunners will have to sell some more players if they are to make further acquisitions. They are not currently expected to follow up their interest in Eberechi Eze, who is also being courted by rivals Tottenham, without first shifting the likes of Leandro Trossard first. Given the Belgian is into his 30s and Gabriel Martinelli can't be trusted as a starter for another season, there is still a need to bring in a top-class left winger.
Getty Images SportPre-season performances
None of Arsenal's five pre-season friendlies were like the others, with the Gunners coming up with a mixed bag of performances and results. They began preparations for 2025-26 with a 1-0 win against AC Milan in Singapore, during which they comfortably kept the Italian giants at arm's length but lacked a cutting edge to put the match out of sight. This was followed by one further friendly in that part of Asia, with Newcastle dispatched 3-2, this time the main concern coming at the back.
Arteta's charges then flew over to Hong Kong to face Spurs in the first-ever north London derby on foreign soil, and it was Thomas Frank's new-look side who prevailed 1-0 thanks to a 40-yard lob from Pape Matar Sarr. Again, bluntness up top proved Arsenal's Achilles heel, though Tottenham notably also caused problems of their own from set pieces, much to the annoyance of the dead-ball kings from N5.
Arsenal wrapped up pre-season with two games against Spanish opposition at Emirates Stadium. A 3-2 loss to Villarreal, during which former record signing Nicolas Pepe scored on his return to north London and threatened to sour the mood completely ahead of the new campaign, before an exquisite 3-0 thumping of a strong Athletic Club improved the vibes again considerably.
One of the prevalent storylines from pre-season was the emergence of 15-year-old Max Dowman, who was much-hyped during the second half of last season after training with the first-team squad though didn't make a senior appearance. He was afforded significant minutes by Arteta this summer and has got supporters excited about his future role in the team. Not bad for a literal child born on the final day of the 2000s.
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Getty Images SportTalking tactics
The Arsenal of 2024-25 were not the swashbuckling side that had run City so close for the title in the two seasons immediately prior to that. Some of that was out of necessity to grind out results, some of that was due to the injury crisis which affected key players, some of that was teams simply figuring out how to frustrate the Gunners.
In an attempt to refresh their identity and bring added impetus to how they attack, Arsenal have played with more directness in attack this summer, with Arteta admitting this has been a key consideration in helping Gyokeres settle. "That's his nature," Arteta of the Swede's style. "I think everything that he does – his movement, the way he times his runs, the way he predicts the next move, where the space can be and where the ball is going to land – that's the instinct that he has. That's why he's scored so many goals in the last few seasons, so that's not a coincidence, it's his ability and he's constantly looking for it.
"I think he pins both centre-backs. He's a player that, when you leave him with the space one against one, he's going to destroy you. So he's going to create a lot of space as well for us and there is the moment that, in any situation, there is a player there that can score a goal."
It's an interesting departure from the slow and considered style that became increasingly slower and more considered over recent seasons. The addition of a quick-thinking playmaker like Zubimendi, who is already impressing with his relationships with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the midfield three, gives Arsenal the ability to attack at any given pace they desire.
The return of Gabriel Magalhaes from injury should also restore Arsenal's supremacy on set pieces – he ranks among the highest scoring centre-backs in all of Europe, tallying five, three, four and five goals across his last four seasons.