Mikel Arteta’s original five-step plan for Arsenal has reached its final stage: building a dynasty. Having already restored the club to Arsene Wenger-era glory by winning the Premier League, Arteta is now chasing something even Wenger’s greatest teams including the Invincibles never managed. No Arsenal side has successfully defended the English top-flight title since the club won three in a row up to 1935, and with the new season opening against Coventry on Friday, that “back-to-back” narrative is set to define Arsenal’s next nine months.
A Superb Season, But Room to Improve
For all the celebration that followed Arsenal’s title win including scenes of jubilation outside the Emirates and around the world last season wasn’t without its flaws. The euphoria masked a difficult Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, in which Arsenal failed to register a single shot on target across 114 minutes after taking an early lead a missed opportunity that exposed a degree of predictability in Arsenal’s attacking play.
That wasn’t an isolated issue. Across the season as a whole, Arsenal were exceptional defensively and from set pieces, but their underlying open-play attacking numbers fell outside the league’s top three solid, but a clear area for improvement if they’re to become less predictable going forward.
Early Signs of Progress But Transfer Business Raises Questions
Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City offered an encouraging glimpse of what a more effective open-play attack could look like, with all three goals coming from open play and none from set pieces. Still, the summer transfer window has left some doubt over where consistent attacking improvement will come from.
Morgan Rogers had been considered Arsenal’s top attacking target before Chelsea beat them to his signature in a £117 million deal, while an ambitious pursuit of Vinicius Junior ended when the Brazilian committed his future to Real Madrid. Christos Tzolis arrived early in the window as a younger, direct replacement for Leandro Trossard, but beyond that, Arsenal go into the new season with largely the same attacking group that finished the last one. There’s still time to add further reinforcements last season’s late arrival of Eberechi Eze proved that impactful signings can still come deep into a window but with Aston Villa and Chelsea both among Arsenal’s opening three fixtures, their attacking evolution will be tested early.
Why the Answer Might Not Be More Transfers
Arteta has been clear this summer that incoming transfers aren’t the only route to improvement. Speaking during pre-season, he expressed optimism about both developing his existing players further and continuing to strengthen through the market while it remains open.
There’s a reasonable case for that view. Last summer’s headline arrivals Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eze all had solid campaigns without being outstanding, to the extent that none of the four started Arsenal’s Champions League final, with Arteta instead favouring more familiar options. Should any of that quartet take a step forward this season, Arsenal could unlock a genuinely higher attacking level without needing to spend further.
Odegaard’s Fitness Could Be as Valuable as a New Signing
Chance creation, not just goalscoring, remains a key lever for improvement and captain Martin Odegaard, limited to just 14 league starts last season through injury, still finished with the third-highest chance creation rate per 90 minutes in the entire Premier League. Had he featured more regularly, Arsenal’s attacking output would likely have been considerably higher. Odegaard was also Arsenal’s standout performer in the Community Shield win over City, and Arteta suggested after that game that keeping him fit and well-supported by team-mates could reveal a genuinely different version of the Norwegian this season, someone he believes still has plenty to prove and deliver for the team.
Guimaraes Adds a New Creative Dimension
Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Newcastle as Arsenal’s second-most expensive signing, offers another route to improved creativity. Despite his reputation as a tough, combative midfielder, Guimaraes ranked among the league’s top ten players last season for line-breaking passes the same discipline in which Morgan Rogers, Arsenal’s former top target, also excelled, hinting at the specific profile Arteta was targeting in this window.
Arteta praised Guimaraes’ timing and intuition in winning the ball back and progressing play quickly, his comfort playing team-mates through and moving between the lines, and his eye for goal and timing of late runs into the box. Arsenal lacked a player capable of consistently producing those game-opening moments last season if Guimaraes can play regularly alongside Odegaard, Arsenal’s attack could end up considerably stronger than many currently expect.
Notably, when recently asked about defending their Premier League title, Arteta corrected the framing insisting his team are instead “attacking” another title, a small but telling hint that a more expansive, front-foot Arsenal could be on the way this season.
The Saliba Factor
Amid the attacking transfer talk, William Saliba’s extended absence with a back injury has received comparatively little attention but it’s a significant blow. Arsenal’s win rate reportedly drops from 68 per cent to 50 per cent in matches Saliba doesn’t start, a reflection of the pace and composure he brings to stopping counter-attacks and defensive transitions, qualities no other current Arsenal defender replicates as consistently.
Gabriel remains one of the league’s outstanding defenders, but with Jurrien Timber still working his way back to full fitness and Ben White’s injury history a persistent concern, Arsenal begin the season with a less experienced defensive unit than usual even accounting for the expected arrival of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa. Arsenal may not be able to lean on their usual defensive dominance quite as heavily in the season’s opening weeks.
The Bigger Picture
Despite those question marks, Arsenal enter the new campaign as reigning champions of England, having also gone unbeaten in 90 minutes throughout last season’s Champions League campaign. They were already a genuinely strong side before the summer and have added further quality, even if perhaps not quite as much as many fans had hoped for.
Arsenal are also currently the only “Big Six” club not undergoing some form of managerial or squad rebuild, entering the season from a position of relative strength and continuity compared to their rivals. That’s shaped the tone of Arsenal’s summer evolution rather than revolution as a club that has already cleared one historic hurdle now turns its attention to a new kind of challenge entirely.
Quick Facts: Arsenal’s Title Defence
- Last Arsenal back-to-back title: Three in a row, ending 1935
- Champions League final result: Lost to PSG, no shots on target in 114 mins after leading
- Community Shield result: Arsenal 3-0 Man City (all goals from open play)
- Win rate with/without Saliba starting: 68% vs 50%
- Odegaard’s league starts last season: 14 (still 3rd-highest chance creation rate per 90 in the PL)
- Opening fixtures: Coventry (H), followed by Aston Villa and Chelsea among early tests