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Steffen Schmidt - August 7, 2025
After three straight second-place finishes, Arsenal have gone all-in with £200M in signings, including Viktor Gyokeres. Can Arteta finally deliver the Premier League title in 2025/26?
Arsenal came agonizingly close to winning the trophy once again, finishing as Premier League runners-up for the third year running last season.
The team has shown clear ambitions of breaking the barrier and finally going all the way this time around by spending around £200 million during the summer.
Mikel Arteta can no longer deny the favourites’ role after signing a proper No. 9 in Viktor Gyokeres and improving the roster all over the place in general.
Has the time finally come for the Gunners to lift the domestic title for the first time since 2003/04 and the famous Invincibles?
Last season was marked by injuries, suspensions, and lack of consistency for Arsenal. The Gunners were seriously hurt by the departure of sporting director Edu Gaspar as they failed to make a single transfer during the winter transfer window despite being in a huge need for players.
Mikel Arteta’s men did end the season in second place for the third consecutive year but the fact they have only won 20 of 38 matches speaks volumes.
For comparison, the Gunners had won 28 games in the 2023/24 campaign when they still ended in second place.
Arsenal still had the best defence in the league, boasting a division-best record of 34 goals conceded in the Premier League.
They also made a significant move in the Champions League, reaching the semi-final of the competition for the first time in more than a decade. They’ve eliminated the likes of Real Madrid with wins at both Emirates and Estadio Santiago Bernabeu along the way. Their European journey came to end at the hands of latter winners Paris Saint-Germain.
The fans have become anxious about Arsenal’s lack of action in the last several transfer windows. The team decided to finally act and they did so by spending more than £200 million for this summer’s reinforcements.
One name stands out, and it is Viktor Gyokeres who will finally fill in the huge void in the final third as Arsenal have spent the last several seasons without a proper No. 9.
Here are the main arrivals at the Emirates ahead of the 2025/26 season:
On top of the big aforementioned signings, Arsenal increased the squad depth by adding in the likes of Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, and Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer.
The list of departures is much more modest and does not include any major piece of Arteta’s squad. Thomas Partey, Jorginho, Kieran Tierney, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the only four players to have left the Emirates this summer.
Mikel Arteta has a well established 4-3-3 system that does not require any changes whatsoever.
Arsenal have a very solid back-four and they have now added more depth into the centre of the park with the signings of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.
The attacking line will be particularly interesting to monitor with the addition of Viktor Gyokeres.
The Swedish forward will offer physicality in the final third while Zubimendi’s arrival adds options for Arteta. He can either play a standard 4-3-3 setup with Zubimendi, Rice, and Odegaard in midfield or shift Odegaard to the No. 10 position and utilize the other two midfielders as pivots.
Speaking of Arteta’s tactical approach, we can’t skip to mention Arsenal’s set-piece threat. Expect this segment to still be one of the team’s main strengths.
After a series of runners-up finishes, Arsenal have finally brought in a true forward in Viktor Gyokeres. If the Swede continues to deliver up front the way he did for Sporting CP in both Primeira Liga and UEFA Champions League, Arsenal have to be considered the main contenders this year.
The start of the season will be crucial with the away games against the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool in the maiden three rounds of the new campaign.
Arteta does not have excuses anymore. It is the title or bust with such a talented and well-balanced roster all over the pitch. Will Arsenal eventually deliver? We can’t wait to see.
Champions League success obviously depends on the knockout stages’ draw and the momentum in crunch period but the general consensus is that the Gunners have full right to hope for the fans in the elite continental competition as well.
It is not very hard to predict Arsenal’s best starting lineup barring injuries and suspensions ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Here are their first-choice options in a 4-3-3 setup:
Raya – White, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly – Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard – Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Speaking of the team’s depth, Arsenal have a phenomenal reserve defensive unit led by the likes of Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jakub Kiwior alongside newcomer Mosquera. Mikel Merino and Christian Norgaard would make it to the starting lineup of most other Premier League teams in midfield.
As for attack, we must not forget the likes of Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and Ethan Nwaneri.
Arsenal came second in three subsequent campaigns and they have drastically improved the roster ahead of the 2025/26 season.
While the braver punters can chase the 3.25 odds offered for the Gunners to finally lift the trophy, the safer option would be to back them to finish inside the top 2 once again at the attractive 1.90 price-tag.
North Londoners will certainly be tempted by the 15.00 combo of backing Arsenal to win the title and Viktor Gyokeres to win Golden Boot.
Although it seems as a banker, there is not much value in backing the Gunners to finish as the highest-ranked team from London at the 1.40 odds.
Latest reports suggest that Gyokeres should take penalties off Bukayo Saka. If that happens and if the Swede hits the ground early on, he can easily break the 25-goal mark. Gyokeres is currently 4.50 to score 25 or more goals in this term of the Premier League.
With a squad filled with world-class players all over the pitch, Arsenal have to attack their first Premier League title since 2003/24. The Gunners have the best defence in the league, top-notch midfield with Rice, Zubimendi, and Odegaard, as well as deadly attacking line led by Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres. Will Arteta live up to the expectation and finally bring the title to North London?
