Arsenal 2025-26 Season Preview: Mikel Arteta faces win-or-bust campaign after another spending splurge as Gunners' nearly men chase down the title

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 The Office'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.

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.

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.

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.

Arsenal would have almost certainly not have finished a whopping 10 points behind Liverpool last season had Saka not missed three months of the campaign with a hamstring injury. He is crucial to everything they do at both ends of the pitch, on and off the ball. Few teams at the Gunners' level rely on the lung-busting exploits of a winger as much as they do.

Even if Arsenal are as good as their 2022-23 or 2023-24 selves, they still may not win a trophy. If they are to reach a higher plain, then Saka may need a proper Player of the Year campaign as well. He has the talent to challenge for both the Golden Boot and Playmaker Award, and only needs to look at Mohamed Salah last season as proof a wide forward can make such a mark.

Still, one man can't do it all alone. If Odegaard has another disappointing year as he did last, then Arsenal are extremely unlikely to claim silverware. Gyokeres has to be the striker everyone at Emirates Stadium hopes he really is. William Saliba and Gabriel have to play most, if not all of, their matches as the starting centre-backs. Rice has to keep up his remarkable fitness record. But above all else, Saka has to lead the way.

Most of Arsenal's players now are known quantities to the masses. Even Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, both 18, are fairly established at Premier League level nowadays. That takes us back to Dowman, who won't even turn 16 until New Year's Eve. It's ludicrously rare and almost unprecedented for a player of his age to make a meaningful contribution for a team looking to win titles, yet there's a very real possibility that the Chelmsford-born schoolboy gets a look-in this season.

"He continues to impress, without a doubt," Arteta recently said of Dowman, whose mesmeric dribbling won Arsenal two penalties during pre-season. "The impact he had in the game again today, the efficiency that he shows in every attack and action, it's incredible. Again, he deserves to have chances, and if he continues like this, let's see what happens."

The Arsenal community is fully behind Dowman, including their wonderkids of yesteryear. Charlie Patino, another Hale End product who's now plying his trade in Spain with Deportivo La Coruna, has given Dowman some key advice: "I'd say to him to keep your head down, be grounded, be humble. Listen to the people around you. Listen to the players who’ve got a lot more experience. He’s a lot younger than me. I’ve seen a few clips and he looks like a very quality player. At an age like that, we don’t want to put too much pressure on him. It’s all about timing. Time will tell where he gets to. I wish him all the best in what he does."

Not to disagree with the great Mick McCarthy, but it really can't go on like this. Not for Arsenal, at least. They have to win a trophy this year, and ideally it would be one of the two majors in the form of the Premier League or Champions League.

Nobody can dispute that Arteta has done an incredible, and at times seemingly impossible, job with the Gunners so far. They were miles away from contention when he joined and had finished second only once since leaving Highbury in 2006 up until his appointment. It is now normal again for the Gunners to be in the top bracket of football conversation.

At some point, however, you have to cash your chips in. The drive for constant improvement must yield a tangible end result. There is nowhere near as much pressure on Arteta within the Arsenal walls as there is on social media, but that almost certainly won't be the case next summer if another season passes without silverware. There is now an expectance on them to ensure there is a parade through Islington in May 2026.

It is also a disservice to Arsenal as a club to suggest they should only be content with the level they are already at, that they cannot possibly improve on this and should be grateful for this improvement alone. Only Liverpool (70) and United (68) have won more trophies than Arsenal (49) in the English game, while they are miles clear of the fourth-most successful teams, Chelsea and City (both 36). This is an institution steeped in glory and those days must return.

Player of the Season: Bukayo Saka. As long as he's fit and healthy, he will hold up his end of the bargain with goals, assists and moments of magic. He is the face of modern Arsenal.

Biggest disappointment: Gabriel Martinelli. As it stands, he will still be the left winger called on most for the season, and he simply hasn't kicked on as Arsenal would have hoped since a phenomenal 2022-23 campaign in which he scored 15 Premier League goals.

Best signing: Gyokeres may have the streets, but it's Zubimendi who is the safer bet in this category. There's a reason the rest of Europe's elite were desperate to pry him away from boyhood club Sociedad. If the connection with Rice and Odegaard is right, that could prove the most balanced midfield in the country. 

Top scorer: Sorry to overlook Gyokeres again, but Saka is the most proven Premier League choice here. There's even a world in which the Sweden striker fails to even win a place in Arteta's preferred XI from a fit-again Kai Havertz.

European fate: Champions League finalists. Arsenal now have the scars needed to make an even deeper European run, and such an impressive dismantling of Real Madrid in last year's quarter-finals should give them the confidence of beating any side home or away. Whether they go all the way and win a first European Cup is another matter, however.

League position: Second. This might not be through any particular fault of their own, rather that Liverpool have spent so much to improve a team of winners as is. History will be made for the wrong reason in north London.