Huge Gyokeres impact, trophy win, Premier League title verdict - Arsenal season predictions

Arsenal are just days away from getting their 2025/26 season underway.

Mikel Arteta's side travel to Manchester United on Sunday with big ambitions for the new campaign. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres have all joined the Gunners for around £200million and Arteta will be intent on challenging on all four fronts.

It will not be easy, though, as the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea have also spent big and the pressure will be on Arteta to deliver. But what can we expect from Arsenal this term? Which players will stand out? Will more improvements be made off the pitch? We asked our football.london writers to gaze into their crystal balls...

Tom Canton

Arsenal are going to win the Premier League title, obviously... Alright, let's get real for a second and in fairness there is still a very good opportunity for Arsenal this season to win the title; and after landing Europe's top goalscorer for the past two seasons, who would be adamant that the reality is impossible?

Well, with both Liverpool and Manchester City certainly ready and reinforced, it will be no easy task. Arsenal's hopes could be solidified or dashed inside the first six games as they take on Manchester United, Leeds United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle United.

It's a gauntlet of games, but if they can emerge with 12 or more points, I would have them down as potential favourites from that point forward, though that will be a major ask. Arsenal need to change to achieve this title goal.

Mikel Arteta needs to become more malleable, the system needs to be less predictable, and the club needs to adapt to its new striker, Viktor Gyokeres. Martin Zubimendi is going to be very important (my vote for player of the year), and for my money, they still need one more attacking reinforcement in the time that remains in the window.

Perhaps the biggest need, though, is luck - especially when it comes to injuries. If Gyokeres plays close to 38 games, he could become the league's top scorer, while support from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, who could both take the club's young player of the year award, along with Max Dowman, is another exciting facet of the team. If it's not the league, then it needs to be a cup and the depth that exists in the squad now after the summer business gives Arsenal the platform to achieve just that.

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Sam Truelove

Arsenal must have success this season. For the past three years Mikel Arteta has been so close to winning silverware, but nobody remembers teams that didn't win. That much change over the next nine months and I'm backing Arsenal to challenge on all four fronts. The squad has been improved quite a bit and they will be there or thereabouts in every competition they are in.

I'm predicting an FA Cup win and a three-way title challenge with Liverpool and Manchester City. Arne Slot's side do look strong and will take some beating. I can see the Gunners reaching the Champions League final, too, but for some reason I fancy Bayern Munich this season in UEFA's top club competition.

Viktor Gyokeres I like a lot and I'm backing the Swede to score 25-plus goals which would be a decent return. Martin Zubimendi, too, will be another star while Ethan Nwaneri could have more of an impact than last season, if Arteta gives the teenager the minutes he deserves.

I can see Leandro Trossard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus leaving either this summer or in January, while there's been a lot of talk around Max Dowman but I can see Arteta protecting the teenager and perhaps only giving him a run-out in Carabao Cup games. This season may just be one year too early for him.

Away from the pitch, Arsenal do really need to tie down Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to new contracts. The duo are key members of Arteta's starting XI and at the moment see their deals expire in 2027. The same goes for Gabriel Martinelli, but it's possible the Brazilian goes if a left winger is signed.

Joe Doyle

I think Arsenal will definitely challenge for the Premier League title again this year, but I've got a sneaking suspicion Man City come back strong this year and win the trophy. It's a top four finish for the Gunners. I think Arsenal will go strong early in the season, and they'll be the ones to pick up the Carabao Cup, especially given the strength in depth they now have.

While Viktor Gyokeres has looked like getting to grips quite quickly with Arsenal's system, I feel like this year could be the year Kai Havertz becomes a big impact player off the bench. When Gyokeres is done running the opposition ragged, I think Havertz will come on and bag a fair few goals in the closing stages, and will likely play against some of the weaker opposition. So it's Havertz for me as top scorer.

I'm backing Martin Zubimendi to come in and make a big difference to the Arsenal style. And I think he'll be one of the more noticeable players as we see a bit more rotation in attack than last season, so he'll take a lot of plaudits and be their most important player this year.

While there's a lot of buzz about Max Dowman, I don't think he'll actually play that many minutes as Mikel Arteta plays it a bit cautious. It's a straight shootout between Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly here, and I think Nwaneri will have the more eye-catching displays to make him young player of the year.

Naturally Arsenal won't want him to be, but I think Kepa Arrizabalaga could turn out to be the best signing this summer. If David Raya does pick up an injury at any point, they've now got a back-up keeper who just had a great year for a Premier League side, and for only £5million. You can't argue with that value.

I'm not sure Arsenal sell all their current fringe players, so I think one of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reiss Nelson and Jakub Kiwior goes in January. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a loan move for Gabriel Jesus as he looks to get more minutes following a return from his knee injury.

Tom Coley

There is external pressure on Arsenal this season, more so than before. Supporters are desperate to see Arteta deliver a trophy of some sort.

They do look in a good position to do so. Having strengthened in the key areas, Arsenal have depth in attack and midfield like they didn't before. Even at the back, Cristhian Mosquera seems a real pick up for the price.

The question is if they can bring back the exciting play to make use of Gyokeres. He needs balls in behind to thrive. Arsenal grew into that in pre-season but it took a while.

He will be a success, no doubt, but whether or not it is a 20-25 goal season many expect, I'm not so sure. Maybe the biggest benefit of having him is simply the option to rotate between two fine strikers.

Kai Havertz will have a really good year competing against and with Gyokeres. They might not play together much but can still be considered a partnership because when one comes from the bench to go at a tired defence, it will be really dangerous.

Noni Madueke's transfer split opinion but he could be a point of difference in Europe and offering support for Saka. Martinelli will have to watch his levels, and Madueke does everything you want from a modern day winger.

Arsenal know it will be tough to win the league but they can give it a real go and should take the cups more seriously. If they are a bit luckier with injuries then there won't be many teams able to stop them.

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