Arsenal's Blueprint for Breaking Their Premier League Title Curse: Four Critical Changes
Arsenal managed to claim victory in their Premier League season opener, yet the Gunners faced criticism despite their slender 1-0 triumph against Manchester United.
The North London side appeared second-best to their traditional adversaries at Old Trafford, even while securing maximum points, resulting in some knee-jerk yet warranted analysis.
After three consecutive runner-up finishes in the Premier League, a 21-year wait for the championship, and a five-year absence of major silverware, pressure is mounting on Arsenal for this campaign.
Naturally, Mikel Arteta doesn't require wholesale modifications to his tactics or philosophy to guide Arsenal across the line, but the lackluster display at Old Trafford serves as an early warning that the Gunners must pursue excellence to accomplish their objectives this season.
Clinical Edge
The most crucial department where Arsenal needs enhancement is certainly in the attacking third. The Gunners have persistently sought a ruthless goalscorer capable of propelling them to success, and they finally addressed their striker concerns this summer by acquiring Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP.
The Swedish marksman netted 97 times over his previous two campaigns and should provide the answer to Arsenal's wastefulness, though his competitive bow indicates adjustment time is needed. He remained largely invisible during the Old Trafford victory, registering zero attempts and merely 22 ball contacts before his substitution after sixty minutes.
Maximizing Gyökeres will prove crucial in Arsenal's quest for this season's major honors, and Arteta must swiftly determine how his team can supply the 27-year-old. He represents a completely different option compared to Kai Havertz and will offer significantly less between the penalty areas, requiring the Gunners to modify their strategy to provide him proper service.
Arsenal frequently struggled to finish off opponents last season as victories became draws. They cannot afford identical errors this campaign.
Creativity From Open Play
Arsenal's dead-ball expertise is tremendously impressive, yet they face accusations of excessive dependence on such scenarios. Following their corner-kick winner on Sunday, the Gunners have now scored 31 set-piece goals since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, representing 11 more than any Premier League rival during that timeframe.
Set-pieces offer an efficient scoring method but aren't necessarily dependable. Arsenal can leverage their aerial strength and intelligent routines to edge them past the line in certain matches this season—as demonstrated at Old Trafford—but they require more consistent open-play creativity to avoid dropping avoidable points.
Arsenal generated merely 0.4 xG (expected goals) at the weekend once Riccardo Calafiori's goal-line header assisted by questionable goalkeeping is excluded, producing only nine attempts versus Manchester United's 22. The Gunners recorded an xG of 73.57 in last term's Premier League, falling 19.67 short of champions Liverpool. That represents a substantial deficit requiring closure.
Arsenal's defensively solid foundation means they don't necessarily need to match Liverpool's expansiveness to gain ground, but their scoring and creative statistics must advance if they're to dethrone Arne Slot's attacking Reds as titleholders.
Managing Injuries
Arsenal's 2024-25 season was undermined by fitness problems as they pursued Premier League and Champions League success. The Gunners experienced the fourth-highest injury count in England's top division last term (36) and lost key figures like Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz during critical and prolonged spells.
Arteta has faced accusations of overusing players during his Emirates Stadium tenure, with the Spanish coach frequently relying exclusively on his preferred choices while rarely implementing major rotations—simultaneously managing Champions League and domestic cup commitments.
Arsenal's summer acquisitions have strengthened squad depth, adding peripheral players alongside marquee signings. Arteta must better utilize those on the fringes in 2025-26 to prevent his team from losing momentum.
Reinventing Martin Ødegaard
Martin Ødegaard has consistently been a challenging player to categorize. While possessing all characteristics of an attacking midfielder, the Arsenal captain operates in a somewhat more conservative capacity for the Gunners, positioned on the right flank to connect closely with Bukayo Saka.
Nevertheless, functioning in a withdrawn position has progressively restricted Ødegaard's offensive capabilities. Given he remains Arsenal's most instinctive and reliable creator, permitting the Norwegian to weave his magic higher up the field could help address some of the club's creative shortcomings in open play.
Ødegaard delivered 22 goal contributions in 2022-23 and 2023-24 but managed only 17 last season—with just 11 coming in Premier League action. A tally of three goals and eight assists falls short for a player of his caliber and a club with Arsenal's aspirations.
Repositioning Ødegaard as a more traditional attacking midfielder could help unleash his complete potential, particularly now Arsenal have Martín Zubimendi maintaining rhythm at the midfield base. The Spaniard's defensive intelligence and superb passing should grant Ødegaard enhanced attacking liberty—which can only benefit Arsenal's championship hopes.