Arsenal 2025/26 Season Preview: Season Recap, Transfers, Playing XI and Expectations

The Arsenal Premier League dream has recently been a story of 'so close yet so far' as the Gunners registered a hat-trick of runner-up finishes. The Mikel Arteta project has revived the club, but it is yet to deliver major trophies. Last season, however, was another step in the right direction as the club improved on all fronts. This Arsenal season preview will make an interesting reading as this season is make or break for Arteta.

Squad depth and staying injury-free have been two issues plaguing Arsenal for a long time. The club made key moves this season and are hopeful now that they have the tools to go one better and lift the big titles. Especially, the Premier League title that wasn't claimed in the last 21 years.

Let us take a deep dive into Arsenal Season Preview and see what Arsenal Premier League future looks like and who will feature in Arsenal Playing XI.

Arsenal 24/25 Season Recap

Mikel Arteta's side are regular contenders for major titles now. They earned that thanks to the Spaniard's meticulous coaching style with a lot of attention to detail. However, winning titles takes a lot more than just planning and hard work, and the young squad is learning it the hard way. They pushed reigning Premier League champions Liverpool all the way before crashing out in the final couple of months in the Premier League. A similar story was seen in the cup competitions as they lost their way.

Arsenal Premier League Journey

Arteta insisted on defensive solidarity more than offensive firepower in the previous window. The club signed multiple defensive-minded options and scrambled to get Raheem Sterling on loan on the deadline day. The defence-first mindset helped them well as they were the meanest defence in the league, conceding only 34 goals. The attack, however, struggled at times as they failed to crack open oppositions that sat deep.

There were extraordinary wins like the 5-1 thrashing of arguably the Premier League's most feared team Manchester City, but also crushing defeats like the 2-0 to Bournemouth that hurt them in the league. An injury to Bukayo Saka turned out to be the beginning of a nightmarish end to the season. Their league form fell off a cliff as they ultimately had to scramble to finish second at least.

Arsenal Cup Journey

Arsenal's domestic journey was full of promises before it started. Fans expected that this year, Arteta might have found the missing puzzle piece that was stopping the London-based club from conquering a major trophy in the past 4 seasons, but Arsenal's cup journey ended the other way. Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal looked good till the 2nd round of the FA cup, before failing to walk past the most successful club in Premier League history. On the other hand, their EFL campaign was pretty decent, the club was able to cross major rounds in the tournament only to lose against the current Carbao Cup Champions Newcastle United in the Semifinal of EFL, that too with a big margin of 4 goals on aggregate. However, it was not the first time they exited from both the domestic competition without earning a medal. The Gunners have been trying to win a major accolade since the year 2020.

Arsenal Journey in UEFA Champions League 2024/25

Gunners' Champions League journey had been a captivating story as the English team performed way better than it was expected. Arsenal's Journey in UEFA Champions League 2024/25 looked like the team had that hunger to go and break all the stereotypes that have been created by fans over the period for the London-based club. Arsenal finished in the top 24 teams in the league stage without any difficulty and thrashed PSV in the round of 16, making a smooth entry into the quarter-finals, where 15-time Champions League winners Real Madrid were waiting for them.

The fixture against Los Blancos was supposed to be their last match, as predicted by some famous Pundits, considering Madrid's form in the Champions League. However, to everyone's surprise, the English side was able to defeat Real Madrid by 5-1 on aggregate, thanks to one of the finest midfielders in the English Premier League, who scored consecutive free kicks to stop the run of Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Then comes the most-awaited semi-final game against PSG. A high-stakes game in which PSG had an edge and crossed the fixture by defeating Arsenal 3-1 on Aggregate. This loss officially ended the 2024/25 season of Arsenal, another season in which the 2nd placed team in the Premier League failed to win a major trophy.

Arsenal 25/26 Transfers

This transfer window left Arteta no choice except to address all the holes in the squad. Since budget was not a problem, he went big to fix the attack and add more depth to the squad. Martin Zubimendi was their marquee signing in the middle of the field to control games better. Upfront, Swedish goal machine Viktor Gyokeres arrived to be their long-term striker and also provide immediate impact. Thomas Partey might only be the notable departure for them.

Arsenal Signings

The Gunners struggled whenever someone in the Arsenal starting XI got injured. Such was the gulf in quality between the starters and the bench options. Arteta improved the bench significantly by adding tried and tested players like Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke. They have league experience and can help Arsenal Premier League dream when summoned off the bench. Madueke, in particular, can even be the Saka backup or a starter on the left.

No signing excites the fans and neutrals more than a star striker. Gyokeres was exactly that as the Gunners brought him to the league. He is a natural gunman and can help solve their inconsistency in front of the goal. Cristhian Mosquera and Kepa Arrizabalaga too were also signed to add more depth in key positions.

Arsenal Outgoings

Arsenal's short squad did not need firebrand exits this summer. The most notable departure was that of Thomas Partey on a free move to Villarreal. The move came amidst the ongoing rape case against Partey, in which the player has been allowed to participate in La Liga with some conditions.

Learnings from Arsenal Pre Season

Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia generated huge excitement among fans after the London club secured the signings of rising stars such as Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, and Cristhian Mosquera. They started their campaign with a 2-1 win over AC Milan, in which tactical solidarity was visible. The newly signed midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, looked perfectly in sync with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. The table below provides a brief overview of Arsenal’s pre-season performances. Against Newcastle, they won with the slightest of margins, and then they were defeated by league rivals Spurs and the yellow submarine Villarreal. At last, they had a comfortable win over Athletic Club.

Here are the major learnings from Arsenal Pre Season campaign in Asia

• Youngsters Stole the Show: Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman were some of the stars who impressed the fans with their skill, pace and approach towards the game at such a young age. These players can play a significant role in Arsenal's new season.
• Arsenal's New Signings Gelled Up Perfectly: New signings Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Viktor Gyökeres appeared to adapt seamlessly to Arteta’s style of play without any difficulties. This is one of the major gains from the Arsenal pre season.
• Set Piece Problems: A team which were reliable on the set pieces in the last season are facing threats from the same thing. Arsenal were conceding goals from the set pieces during the pre season, this problem needs to be resolved as soon as possible if they want to hold the top six position in the league.
• Gyokeres and Goals: Although Gyokeres featured in only two of Arsenal pre season matches, it’s too early to say he fell short of the expected goal tally, but if he continued to perform similarly, he might fight for a spot with Kai Havertz in the future.

Expected Arsenal Starting XI for New Season

Arsenal Starting XI wouldn't have changed much by the time they kick off against Manchester United in the new Premier League campaign. The changes, though, occur in the shape or tactics. David Raya will be the undisputed number one in goal. He will be protected by Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel and the youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly. In the midfield, new signing Zubimendi will slot into the defensive midfielder role, offering greater freedom to Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. The wing pairing of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will remain unchanged, with Gyokeres leading the line.

Expected Arsenal Starting XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Arsenal Season Preview

This season will mark Arteta's fifth full season in charge of Arsenal. He has done an incredible job of turning the club's fortunes around. He made them from pushovers to genuine contenders. However, he has nothing tangible to show for it when it comes to silverware. This season, the Gunners are expected to lift either the Premier League or the Champions League to justify Arteta's survival at the club. Cup success is also appreciated, but might not be enough to keep Arteta as Arsenal Premier League manager for the next season.

Arsenal Premier League 25/26 Season

Probably no club has had a hat-trick of second-placed finishes in the Premier League. The Gunners so famously came close to finishing but couldn't cross the line. A mix of unfortunate injuries and players losing at key times has hurt them in the past. The manager must have learned enough by now to manage minutes of key players and play risk-free games by rotating his eleven a bit more.

That said, if they remain fit and firing, they are likely to end their 21-year-long Premier League drought. However, there are concerns over the compatibility of their new signings and if they fail to adapt to the new league, another long season might await them. Especially with rivals like Liverpool and Manchester City considerably strengthening, they will have no margin for error.

Sportsdunia's predicted finish for Arsenal Premier League 25/26 season: 2nd place.

Arsenal’s Domestic & Continental Cup Predictions 2025/26

If Arteta wants to be a legend at the club, he has a shortcut in front of him. Win the Champions League and earn your place in the hall of fame. Even if he doesn't, he wouldn't be crucified for it because no one in the club's esteemed history has done it. That's what achieving it makes it so special. Arteta's Arsenal are a difficult team to beat in cup competitions. If they can translate it to the Champions League, they can beat any team over two legs. Winning the final is a different ball game, and Arteta must prepare his squad mentally first.

This time around, Arteta has enough resources in the bank to negotiate the opening cup rounds with his squad players. Once the big hitters come into play, they can aim for a deep run and even lift a trophy like the FA Cup.

Sportsdunia's predicted finish for Arsenal Cups 25/26 season: Champions League - Finalists, FA Cup - Champions, Carabao Cup- Semis

Arsenal Premier League Key Matches 2025/26 Season

The Gunners open their Premier League campaign with a blockbuster away match against epic rivals Manchester United. Their incredibly tough fixture run sees them travel to Anfield on the third match day and face Manchester City at home on the fifth match day. The spiced-up North London Derby falls on the 12th matchday in November. They will immediately take on London rivals Chelsea in the next gameweek.

The above scene reverses itself in the second half of the season as they visit Tottenham and host Chelsea in back-to-back weeks in February. Manchester City are the only top team in their run-in after the 30th gameweek. If the Gunners steer clear of their rivals, an easier run-in could see them lift one of the most expensive trophies. Here is the list of Arsenal Premier League key fixtures.

Arsenal Fans’ Expectations for the Upcoming Season

A group that has seen their team bottle the league 3 consecutive times are now almost frustrated with Mikel Arteta and wants immediate results from the ex-assistant coach of Manchester City. On the other hand, a lobby is protecting the Spanish manager by saying all that happened in the past was due to players negligence and no hunger to win the games and Arteta can not be blamed for all the shortcomings they had in their last 5 seasons.

Whether Arsenal fans see the glass as half full or half empty, the reality is that this season could be the Spanish manager’s last chance to deliver results and end the club’s trophy drought. If he fails, it wouldn’t be surprising if the management decides to part ways with him, especially given the patience they’ve shown since appointing Arteta in 2019. Fans want output, and he has to deliver, no matter what, because, as the saying goes "no one remembers who came second."