Arsenal's campaign 'remembered as one of frustration'published at 12:13
12:13
Alex Howell BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal secured a third runner-up finish in a row but this campaign is going to be remembered with frustration.
Mikel Arteta will have the same feelings and will be pondering what could have been as another season ends without a trophy.
The Gunners were robbed of key forwards for large part of the season with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all suffering a medium to long-term injury at some point in the season.
However, Arsenal's football was not as free-flowing as in previous seasons and, despite the injuries, the debate that went on all season was whether they needed a striker.
It is clear that they do and after failing to bring one in during the January transfer window, the pressure now moves to this summer window.
Arsenal are interested in Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko but it remains to be seen which one of those three, if any, come through the doors.
Arteta has progressed Arsenal but if the squad doesn't improve, the danger is next season will be remembered in exactly the same way.
'Have no doubt, Arteta is the man'published at 11:57
11:57
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on our fan contributor Laura Kirk-Francis' end of season scorecard (27 May, 09:53 BST).
Here are some of your comments:
John: Laura is pretty much right. I think the injuries did damage our season more than Laura thinks but red cards played their part as well. This window must be the window to make the difference between finishing first or second.
Jonathan: Agree with Laura - frustrating to end with nothing this season. Liverpool have been excellent but we've barely challenged for the league title. Points dropped from winning positions is the most damning stat!
Carl: Arsenal have made great strides under Mikel Arteta. True Arsenal fans understand this and are firmly behind him. With the addition of a striker and some more creativity in the number 10 role to take the pressure off Martin Odegaard, we will achieve silverware. Recruitment is needed this summer - but have no doubt, Arteta is the man.
Roy: Alexander Isak is a proven goalscorer but he does get injured a lot. The strikers from either Germany or Portugal look a better and cheaper bet. If we can also get Nico Williams then it would add another dimension to our attack!
Al: 6/10? Every other team besides Liverpool would love to have had Arsenal's season.
When will the 2025-26 Premier League fixtures be released? published at 08:21
08:21
Image source, Getty Images
The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.
The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday,18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.
The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.
The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.
Rice's two free-kicks against Real Madrid were at the centre of a memorable night for Arsenal, but his performance in the return leg, and his consistency across the season has been outstanding.
When Arsenal fans sing "we got him half price", in reference to his £105m transfer fee, they are absolutely right.
Zubimendi to Arsenal - the fans' verdictpublished at 15:30 28 May
15:30 28 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether Martin Zubimendi will be a good addition to Mikel Arteta's side should he complete his switch to Emirates Stadium.
Here are some of your comments:
J.C: Great signing but still does not solve our main issue, which is needing a striker. Plus a winger for cover or even to push for a starting place.
Robin: A good solid signing. If it frees up Declan Rice to keep moving forward, it will be a big plus. Age wise, he is yet to reach his peak. Quite a few clubs have circled around him the past couple of seasons. All we need is a prolific striker and next season we'll win a trophy.
David: This signing evolves the way we play by liberating Rice and giving us extra security and creativity in front of the defence. Good signing - looking forward to seeing him in red and white.
Duncan: This means Mikel Arteta is going to use Rice as an attacking midfielder but bought him as a defensive one. Why not spend 51m on an actual attacking player instead of trying to convert Rice?
Ryan: He's exactly what we need but of course not at the expense of the essential forwards. Can't really judge until we see how the window ends and if we end up not being able to afford players in key areas as a result. Yet £51m for a proven midfielder is a bargain nowadays though.
Chris: Zubimendi will definitely increase the quality of the squad and bolster the solidity of the team, so will hopefully go a long way to addressing the issue of dropping points from winning positions, as well as enabling more creativity up top. Good start to the summer business!
Why Arsenal want Zubimendipublished at 14:05 28 May
14:05 28 May
Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Since treading the well-worn path from Sociedad's famed academy to the club's first team, Martin Zubimendi has become one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe.
He has been linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool in recent years.
Zubimendi has largely played as a deep-lying midfielder since making his Sociedad debut in 2019, although he is capable of playing in a more advanced role.
Arsenal were heavily reliant on defensive midfielder Thomas Partey this season. While Arteta wants the Ghana international to sign a new contract, signing Zubimendi would bolster Arsenal's options considerably.
Zubimendi proved his ability on the international stage last summer when he starred off the bench in Spain's 2-1 victory over England in the final of Euro 2024 after replacing the injured Rodri.
In addition to Zubimendi's imminent arrival, the Gunners want to sign a new centre-forward, with Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres among their preferred targets.
Talks over new contracts for Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are also ongoing.
Zubimendi deal nears completion - send us your thoughtspublished at 12:42 28 May
12:42 28 May
Image source, Getty Images
With Martin Zubimendi set to have a medical before completing a switch to Arsenal from Real Sociedad, we want your views.
According to BBC sources, the deal is entering its closing stages with all documents in place and just the medical left.
Zubimendi has a reported £51m release clause and the Gunners have been long-term admirers of the defensive midfielder.
He has played 44 times for the La Liga side this season, scoring two goals and proving two assists.
So, how do you feel the news? Is he what the Gunners need? How well can Zubimendi do in Mikel Arteta's side?
Which teams put a shift in this season?published at 08:03 28 May
08:03 28 May
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.
The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.
Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.
Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).
Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.
Gossip: Gunners make Gyokeres offerpublished at 07:35 28 May
07:35 28 May
Arsenal have held talks with Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres' agent in Lisbon and made a £58.7m offer to sign the Sweden international. (Correio da Manha - in Portuguese, external)
Fan scorecard: Unsung hero? Ideal signing?published at 09:53 27 May
09:53 27 May
Laura Kirk-Francis Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Season rating: 6/10. Arsenal came into the campaign as one of the favourites to finally bring the title to north London, but it is hard to argue that they ever looked like mounting a solid challenge. The team deserve immense credit for finishing second despite so many serious injuries to key players, as well as maintaining an unbeaten record against the top six. That aside, too many points squandered from winning positions can't be blamed on injuries, and will need to be an area for focus next season.
Happy with your manager? Mikel Arteta has had a challenging season, but his decision to move Mikel Merino into the attack was a stroke of genius. However, Arsenal's record in the domestic cups has been poor for the past three seasons. Yes, there were injuries, but Arteta has grown too comfortable playing his best XI every week without accounting for rest during a busy schedule. There is a knack to winning knockout football that perhaps he hasn't quite got to grips with yet.
Unsung hero: Jakub Kiwior. The injury to Gabriel just before the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid left Kiwior - who had played only sporadically this season - with the daunting prospect of facing Kylian Mbappe. He more than stepped up to the challenge across both legs, and has been a quiet but solid presence in defence when Arsenal needed him.
Player you would most like to sign: For what feels like the third summer in a row, Arsenal are crying out for a striker. Newcastle's Alexander Isak would be a perfect addition to the side, and would bring out the best from Martin Odegaard, who has struggled this season. However, it is hard to see Newcastle letting him go at a price Arsenal would consider, given their need to strengthen in other areas too.
Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Frustration! Arsenal have spent the past few seasons climbing back to the top of the Premier League, and with Manchester City experiencing a tough campaign this felt like the perfect time for the Gunners. There is an overwhelming sense of 'shoulda, woulda, coulda', and that this team have fallen just short again.
'Ultimately a disappointing season'published at 09:48 27 May
09:48 27 May
Image source, Getty Images
Here's my quick assessment of Arsenal's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.
Pre-season prediction: 2nd
Ended the season: 2nd
This was ultimately a disappointing season for Arsenal, despite finishing second in the Premier League and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League. They deal in trophies - but manager Mikel Arteta has now gone five years without one. He has to deliver next season.
They had too many draws in the league. And while injuries hit hard, Arsenal paid the price for not addressing a major flaw last summer by signing a striker. They must do it now.
What I said in August: "Arsenal must surely be in the market for a proven goalscorer before the close of the transfer window, a component still lacking for all last season's excellence."
'Win or risk being laughed at' - fans on Arsenal's 'nearly' seasonpublished at 09:41 26 May
09:41 26 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Arsenal's season after securing second place by beating Southampton on the final day.
Here are some of your comments:
Keith: A good season overall, but we are in danger of being known as the nearly team. We need to start to win things or risk being laughed at by other teams.
Benjamin: Everyone asks for a striker (and I agree, in tight games we miss that edge). But for me, the easiest thing to focus on is game management - dropping 21 points from winning positions is clearly the difference.
John: The striker problem never goes away, does it? Just hope they don't dilly-dally but get who they want straight away.
Matt: Too many times the midfield didn't get forward quickly when we were on the break. If we had, then there wouldn't be the clamour for a new striker. Yes, that would be useful, but it would change the way we play. We score lots of goals, shared out among players. But a lack of progression forward means we don't score as many as we could. and we don't take the opportunity to shoot when it's there too often! Too many one-footed players - one-footed equals missed shooting chances. And I'm better than Kai Havertz! To quote a George Best (I think): "He can trap the ball almost as far as I can kick it!" Despite what I say, it's my club and I love them! Here's to next season.
Terrance: The manager showed complacency with the starting XI and had to make substitutions to scrape the win. Possession is not everything, as has been seen through the season. Oh, for a decent number nine. However, more ups than downs and finished second again. Injuries have not helped, but others have had a similar problem. A stronger bench was needed. Maybe the management will realise this and endeavour to correct this next season and finally get the number one spot. A good European run was well deserved, just running out of steam at the wrong time. Many positives.
Paul: Too many injuries and red cards before Christmas so the league season never had any real momentum. Need a striker and a cool-headed playmaker.
Rob: Liverpool were great straight from the blocks and pretty much a faultless season for them. Same old story for Arsenal - tried their best but came up short again. Too many injuries, too many missed chances and drawn games. A striker of great calibre would certainly help, but I feel this was probably the season to break through. I fear we may end up fourth next time around.
Titus: If there was a prize for throwing points away Arsenal would have won it long before the season's end. Silly reds and double yellows; daft, needless fouls to give free-kicks... it goes on and on. So there were injuries - every team gets them. Just add up the points thrown away. Arteta needs to educate his team.Arsene Wenger was as bad. Football requires brains as well as talent!
David: I feel if Arsenal had spent their money well in either transfer window, things would look a lot different now. They messed up the homegrown player numbers, too – keeping Reiss Nelson would've meant a bigger squad. They got to get it right this summer, or it'll be more of the same next year. Small improvements won't cut it. The process has run its course - time for results.
Gossip: Gunners enter race for Mitomapublished at 07:21 26 May
07:21 26 May
Arsenal have joined Bayern Munich in the race to sign Brighton's 28-year-old Japan midfielder Kaoru Mitoma. (Sky Germany, external)
Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres will leave Sporting this summer. The 26-year-old has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea and has an agreement with the Portuguese club to allow him to leave for less than his £84m release clause. (Sky Sports, external)
The Gunners want Aston Villa's Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 32, to return to the club amid interest from Real Madrid in their 29-year-old Spain shot-stopper David Raya. (Sun, external)
Arsenal want Ghana defensive midfielder Thomas Partey to remain with the club beyond his current deal, which expires in the summer, despite being linked with Real Sociedad's 26-year-old Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi. (football.london, external)
Sporting director Andrea Berta has held talks with AC Milan winger Rafael Leao, 25, in a bid to persuade him to move to Emirates Stadium this summer. (TeamTalk, external)
Finally, Arsenal have made an offer to sign 21-year-old RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko. (Fichajes - in Spanish, external)
Image source, Getty Images
