The North Londoners may finally get over their title hoodoo after painfully missing out to Pep Guardiola's side in each of the last two seasons
By most measures, Arsenal improved significantly last season, but it still wasn't enough to dethrone Manchester City as the kings of English football. Their chances of tangible success were blown to smithereens after a particularly testing three-day period in April, when defeats to Aston Villa and Bayern Munich ended their Premier League and European dreams.
But Mikel Arteta has had more than enough time to get over this heartbreak and has been plotting all summer to finally overthrow Pep Guardiola's side. Compared to last off-season, this has been a quiet transfer window for Arsenal, though racking up 89 Premier League points last term would suggest that nothing drastic was required anyway.
Whether the Gunners have enough to finally get over the line this campaign remains to be seen. But it's pretty clear that barring an unforeseen disaster, they will once again be right up there at the business end of the season.
Getty ImagesMood around the Emirates
You'd have to have a heart of stone to not be enthused about the upcoming season as an Arsenal fan. After some testing times towards the beginning of his tenure, Arteta has transformed the men's team from top to bottom, with the Gunners now firmly back among Europe's elite.
This reinvigoration has been mirrored in the Emirates' improved atmosphere. Once derided for its lack of noise, Arsenal's home is now one of the toughest stadiums to visit in the Premier League, with the club taking steps off the pitch to help make this happen.
It's hard to find things to be negative about, though there are one or two minor quibbles. Most notably, Arsenal continue to lose homegrown talent, with Emile Smith Rowe and Chido Obi-Martin both departing in the summer. Most fans would probably prefer Arteta to take a few more chances with youth academy graduates, but this is far easier to accept when everything else is going so well.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTransfer business
Riccardo Calafiori arriving for £42 million ($54m) on the back of an impressive Euro 2024 with Italy might stink of short-termism, but in reality Arsenal have been tracking the Bologna star for some time. There's an expectation that the aggressive defender will finally solve the Gunners' left-back conundrum, with a revolving cast of squad members occupying that particular role last season.
To date, if you don't count David Raya's loan move being made permanent, this is the only signing Arsenal have made. Mikel Merino could shortly join Calafiori at the Emirates, though, with the Spain and Real Sociedad star capable of giving Arteta a unique skill set in the middle of the park.
There's been whispers that another attacker is being targeted, too. Bukayo Saka has played a lot of football over the past few years and backup on the right wing would be very much welcomed. However, thanks to PSR considerations, identifying the right candidate is proving challenging.
Going in the other direction, Mohamed Elneny, Arthur Okonkwo and Cedric Soares have all left on free transfers, while Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and Karl Hein are set to spend another campaign out on loan.
Smith Rowe is the only real departure of note. Arsenal fans were sad to see the Hale End alum leave, but there was an grudging acceptance that the move was best for all parties. He should receive a warm reception when returning to the Emirates with Fulham this season.
Getty ImagesPre-season performances
Arsenal's pre-season should be taken with a pinch of salt, as a crop of first-team regulars were unavailable for large spells due to European Championship and Copa America commitments. Regardless, results and performances have been promising.
Once again the Gunners jetted off on a pre-season tour of the United States, beginning by drawing with Bournemouth before beating Manchester United and losing to Liverpool – both 2-1 scorelines. After thrashing Bayer Leverkusen 4-1, they went on to lift the 'prestigious' Emirates Cup, with goals from centre-back pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes earning them a 2-0 victory over Lyon.
The emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri as potential first-team options in pre-season has been particularly pleasing, while Gabriel Jesus looks back to something resembling his best form. Calafiori enjoyed a strong debut in that Lyon game, too.
Getty ImagesTalking tactics
Arteta has several principles that inform all of the tactical decisions he's made since taking over at the Emirates. "Dominance," is the catch-all phrase he's used on a couple of occasions, a philosophy built on a merciless control of possession, solid defensive base and increase in tempo when in the final third.
Despite this firm belief in his way of playing, Arteta has still innovated tactically over the years and there are a couple of questions hanging over his selection this season, the biggest of which is in midfield. Even if Merino does not end up joining, there are doubts over what Arsenal's best midfield three is. Declan Rice was pretty outstanding in a more attacking left-sided role in the second half of the season, meaning one of Thomas Partey or Jorginho will likely sit at the base of the trio, with Martin Odegaard on the right.
Up front, Kai Havertz's form lessened calls for Arteta to bring in a centre-forward, but Jesus will be pushing hard to start more regularly now his fitness appears to be on track, meaning the German might even be a contender in midfield too.
Calafiori's arrival and Jurrien Timber's long-awaited recovery from an ACL injury also adds intrigue in the back line. Timber has enjoyed an excellent pre-season and can play in all three defensive positions, while even the much-maligned Oleksandr Zinchenko has discovered a new lease of life over the past few weeks.
This gives Arteta good problems to solve and might allow Arsenal to be more adaptable to breaking down different types of opposition over the coming season.