Football Season Guide

Finished second for a third consecutive season, as injuries and a reluctance to sign a quality striker in January proved costly for Mikel Arteta’s side. No team lost fewer games than Arsenal, who recorded just four losses but had as many as 14 draws – the second-highest tally in the league last season. Thomas Partey is the only first-choice player to have departed so far this summer, with Arsenal strengthening every position by signing players such as Martín Zubimendi, Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke, all of whom have the potential to be undisputed starters. Meanwhile, they’ve added depth to the squad with the signings of a talented Cristhian Mosquera and an experienced Christian Nørgaard in their bid to put together a complete roster. Minor injuries have troubled Arteta again this summer, but it looks like he could have an almost fully-fit squad available for the start of the season. Expected to become the starting striker in Arsenal’s 4-3-3 formation, Gyökeres will look to prove that he is the finisher the team has so desperately needed over the last few years. The Gunners’ main strength lies in an extremely talented midfield featuring captain Martin Odegaard, highly-rated Declan Rice and prodigious Zubimendi - arguably one of the finest midfield tridents in the league. Meanwhile, it’s notable that no Arsenal players recorded double figures in scoring, with Kai Havertz finishing last campaign as their top scorer in the league with nine goals despite playing just 23 matches. Gyökeres might be the solution for this issue, but it remains to be seen how quickly he will manage to adapt to his new team.