Arsenal

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Following the release of the 2025-26 Premier League fixtures, we asked you to have your say on how the schedule has fallen and where Arsenal might be after 10 games.

Here are some of your comments:

Minwoo: Manchester United away (first game!), Liverpool away, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at home (back to back!) and then Newcastle away - all in the first two months! A real test from the get-go and will show where the squad is at. A make-or-break start.

Vince: Go in with confidence and we could be top after 10 games. The alternative doesn't bear speculating on.

David: We will be top after 10 games. Then fade away.

Paul: A tough set of six games to open with so we should have a good idea of how the season is going to go for us by the end of September.

Eric: Once again, it looks like the dice have been loaded against us. Has any other club been given a harder set of fixtures to open the season? An absolute joke. Looks like we could be out of the running by the end of September.

John: Provided we get the right signings, there is every chance that we will be in the top two again. Centre-forward/striker is a big priority though.

Opta has ranked the difficulty of each top-flight team's first five Premier League fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to Opta's model, Manchester United have the hardest start, followed by their opening-weekend opponents Arsenal and then Bournemouth.

Aston Villa's first five games have been ranked the easiest, alongside Crystal Palace.

Take a look below to see where your side places...

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Fans have been warned by the Premier League that fixtures could be moved at "relatively short notice" next season because of the number of teams playing in Europe.

A record nine top-flight clubs have qualified for continental competition in the 2025-26 campaign.

The Premier League said there is an "increased likelihood" that games will be re-scheduled if English teams reach the latter stages and it suggested fans take this into consideration when planning their attendance at games.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham will be playing in the Champions League next season.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have qualified for the Europa League, while Nottingham Forest will be playing in the Conference League.

"While the Premier League celebrates this success, it will come with an impact on the scheduling of league matches," a statement from the Premier League said.

"There is an increased likelihood of Premier League fixtures moving at relatively short notice, after our fixture announcements, should our clubs progress to the knockout rounds of these competitions."

Andrew Bassett
BBC Sport data analyst

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We have seen a lot of traffic to our fixtures pages already today.

So far, Leeds United are the fourth most visited club fixtures page on BBC Sport.

Only Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal are ahead of the Whites.

Newly promoted Sunderland also catch the eye inside the top 10 - and in case you were wondering, they are behind Newcastle United.

Aside from the opening weekend's game against Manchester United and the final fixture of the season against Crystal Palace, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

See Arsenal's full fixture list here

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The first north London derby of the 2025-26 Premier League season will be at the Emirates on the weekend of 22-23 November.

Mikel Arteta's side will then travel to Tottenham on the weekend of 21-22 February.

In terms of the title race, the Gunners face an early trip to defending champions Liverpool on the weekend of 30-31 August, with the reverse fixture scheduled for early in January.

Their two games against Manchester City will be on the weekends of 20-21 September and 18-19 April.

And what about the schedule over Christmas and New Year? Well, Arsenal's four festive fixtures include home games against Brighton and Aston Villa, plus trips to Everton and Bournemouth.

Finally, the Gunners will close their campaign against Crystal Palace on Sunday, 24 May 2026 - when all 10 matches will kick off at 16:00 BST.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think Arteta's side will be after 10 games? Have your say here

Arsenal will travel to Manchester United in their opening game of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

The match will take place on Sunday, 17 August at 16:30 BST, with the Gunners' first home fixture against newly-promoted Leeds United on the weekend of 23-24 August.

See Arsenal's Premier League fixtures in full here

Where do you think Arsenal will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here

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As the transfer window is now open again until 1 September, we asked you to tell us one player you want Arsenal to sign, and a player you want to be sold this summer.

Here are some of your comments:

Jake: We have to go and get Benjamin Sesko! He looks like the real deal and with his age and profile we could be looking at a number nine who can last us the next 10 years! Sadly, the time has ran out for Oleksandr Zinchenko at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta does not favour him and I would rather see Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori and Jakub Kiwior take the minutes.

Jordan: Upgrading the left wing will be one of Arsenal's priorities this summer. Of the two we currently have, I think Leandro Trossard leaving makes the most sense given his age and profile, leaving Gabriel Martinelli to compete with a new signing. I would like to see Arsenal go for someone like a Xavi Simons. He offers dribbling, creativity, some versatility and he is a good ball striker from range.

Nigel: Sadly, I would sell Fabio Vieira. He has had a blinding season on loan and I think it is going to be hard if not impossible for him to play in the team with the players we already have. See if we can claw some cash back, which would lead nicely to buying Viktor Gyokeres. Could even include Vieira in the deal to sweeten things up.

Adam: Sell Martin Odegaard - overrated but could make profit. Buy Alexander Isak - proven Premier League striker.

Bob: Sell Calafiori. Wonderful footballer but has a bad history of injury that will not suit the intensity of an English league without a proper winter break on top of about a dozen Champions League games. Buy Ollie Watkins. Proven Premier League striker at a club that needs to shift a player off the books.

Juventus have offered Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres an £11m-a-year contract as they try to beat Arsenal and Manchester United to a deal for the 27-year-old Sweden international. (Mirror), external

Meanwhile, the Gunners, Aston Villa, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Inter Milan, and Napoli have all shown interest in 31-year-old Al Nassr and Spain defender Aymeric Laporte, who used to play for Manchester City. (AS - in Spanish), external

Finally, Barcelona have moved ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the race to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, 22 - although financial issues could scupper the Nou Camp side's move for the Spain international. (Sky Sports Germany), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.

The transfer window is open again for summer business to be conducted.

Clubs can now strike deals until the deadline at 19:00 BST on 1 September.

So if you can sell one player, who is it? And if you can buy one player only, who gets the nod?

Give us reasons for your choice but remember, in this instance it's a strict one player leaving and one coming in.

Send your selections here

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ethan Nwaneri is fresh from his breakthrough season at Arsenal and is now representing England at the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia.

Nwaneri made an impressive substitute appearance in the Young Lions' opening game against Slovakia, immediately putting the ball through the legs of a defender and starting an England attack.

Head coach Lee Carsley and the England set-up have been careful with how they have used Nwaneri so far during the tournament.

That is because the 18-year-old, who played a lot of football at the beginning and mid-point of the season, featured less as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard returned to full fitness.

However, Nwaneri still made 37 appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals.

Carsley handed Nwaneri a start for the second group match against Slovenia, but started the midfielder on the left of his 4-2-2-2 formation, with Harvey Elliott on the right and James McAtee and Jonathan Rowe as strikers.

Nwaneri's natural position is more central, but he has excelled for Arsenal on the right, filling in for Saka when he was injured.

He grew into the game against Slovenia but his best moments came in the second half when he did shift to the right side and linked well with Elliott.

Nwaneri did manage to beat a player and get into his 'trademark' position - where he curls the ball from the edge of the box with his left foot into the far corner - but this time his effort flew over the bar.

Saka is Arsenal's key player and Odegaard the captain, so next season, if he is able to play from the left, that could be a route for Nwaneri to continue his progression and get significant minutes for Mikel Arteta's side.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Monday marks the start of the transfer window re-opening, so teams can now do business until 1900 BST on 1 September.

Arsenal have been one of the most talked-about clubs in the transfer market without actually completing a deal.

The Gunners' search for a striker is down Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko. They are closing on a deal for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea who will compete with Spanish compatriot David Raya.

Arsenal are actively pursuing moves for Sporting's Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 27, and RB Leipzig's Slovenia attacker Benjamin Sesko, 22, though will only sign one forward this summer. (Mirror), external

However, Arsenal think the asking price for Gyokeres is too high so will focus on signing Sesko or Aston Villa's England forward Ollie Watkins, 29. (Record - in Portuguese), external

AC Milan have opened talks with Arsenal over signing the Gunners' Ukraine defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, 28. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Olivier Giroud has praised former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger for letting him join Chelsea in 2018.

Giroud spent six years at Arsenal, scoring 105 goals in 253 games, but quit in search of regular football in a move that allowed the Gunners to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

While moving was not a shock, his destination was given the Gunners' long-standing rivalry with Chelsea.

The move worked out better for Giroud than Arsenal, given Aubameyang failed to reach the heights expected and eventually had his contract cancelled. Giroud, meanwhile, won the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League with the Blues.

As he looks ahead to Monday's Club World Cup encounter between his current club, Major League Soccer outfit LAFC and Chelsea in Atlanta on Monday, Giroud expressed his gratitude to Wenger for making the deal happen.

"I'm really thankful one more time to Arsene, if he hears me, to let me go where I wanted to go," said Giroud.

"I had an amazing time at Chelsea and played with amazing players. With Eden [Hazard], Willian and Pedro around me, it was so easy.

"I knew signing for Chelsea back then was an improvement. They were one of the best teams in the league, winning the most trophies with [Manchester] City.

"It surprised a lot of people but I had to leave and it went really well for me."

Arsenal are considering a move for Athletic Bilbao and Spain winger Nico Williams, 22. (Sun), external

However, Williams has already been given permission to move to Bayern Munich after they met his release clause. (Sky Germany), external

Elsewhere, the Gunners have also asked Ajax about their Netherlands central defender Jorrel Hato, 19. (Mail), external

Meanwhile, AC Milan are interested in a move for Arsenal's versatile defender Oleksandr Zinchenko. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Sporting Lisbon president Frederico Varandas says his club will not accept "blackmail and insults" in the bidding process for Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, in particular Manchester United and Arsenal.

While the club president says Sporting won't hold out for the release clause set at £84m, he also said that they won't accept an insulting offer.

Speaking to Portuguese media, Varandas said: "I tried to take three days off, I came back yesterday. I saw so much information and counter-information that it is only fair to come and explain the process.

"It started last year, when the season ended and Sporting became national champions. During the transfer market we saw that he was going to stay because there was no offer.

"The agent spoke to us to add some clauses. Hugo Viana, as he always did, and very well, managed the relationship with the agents. This relational space is established with the sports director.

"One of the agent's biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause. Hugo Viana negotiated with the agents over several meetings until the agent demanded the presence of the president.

"At this meeting, which included the president, the agent and Viana, Gyokeres was not present. He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now. For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100 or 90 million euros.

"In that same meeting, the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: 'It's not worth us setting a value because I don't know what will happen in a year's time. I don't know if it will be 40, 60 or 80. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million euros. From then on, I never spoke to the agent again, I never spoke to the player about departures or values.

"Now I see the agent in the press releasing information. I want to make one thing clear: Sporting has common sense and keeps its word. Gyokeres scored 63 goals and 10 assists. Fantastic performance. Certainly one of the best players to have ever stepped onto Portuguese turf. And Sporting will not demand the clause.

"Now blackmail and insults, Sporting will not accept. One thing is certain: Sporting will not accept 60 million plus 10. As of today, Sporting has not received any proposal for Gyokeres."

Manchester United hold bragging rights as the most popular Premier League club across social platforms, according to CIES Football Observatory., external

Ranking third overall behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United total 233.6 million subscribers and followers across X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Rivals Manchester City are second highest out of Premier League clubs and fifth overall with 179.5m, with Liverpool (166.7m) and Chelsea (152.9m) just behind.

Arsenal also make the global top 10 with 114.1m, meaning there are five English teams inside the top 10.

Spurs just miss out in 11th with 108.1m, but they did gain an extra 700,000 followers over their North London rivals since June 2024.

A total of 15 English clubs make the top 100, with Leeds United squeezing into the 100th spot with 6.4m.

While fans may not sing about social media followers, global interest has a hand in paying the bills at their beloved football clubs.

Arsenal have agreed a fee of about £59m with Real Sociedad for Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 26, with the move to be completed after 1 July to help with meeting Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. (AS - in Spanish), external

RB Leipzig's 22-year-old Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko - a reported target for Arsenal - rejected a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal before Tuesday's transfer deadline. (Star), external

Leipzig are holding firm on receiving the full release clause for Sesko, now understood to be more than £65m. (Independent), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Kieran Tierney's return to Celtic has been completed, with the defender signing a five-year contract after leaving Arsenal.

The Scottish champions confirmed in February that Tierney would return to the club on the expiry of his Arsenal contract, six years after departing Glasgow for north London.

Tierney made 144 appearances for Arsenal but went on loan to Real Sociedad for the 2023-24 season after falling out of favour under Mikel Arteta amid injury problems.

He failed to become a regular starter on his return and all but four of his 20 appearances last season were as a substitute.

"When you move away from home, you grow up, you learn different things," Tierney told Celtic club media.

"I was in Spain for a year, learning a different language and playing in a different league, so I'm definitely a different person."

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We asked for your views on today's transfer deadline and whether Arsenal need to sign players urgently or would be better off waiting.

Here are some of your comments:

Rachel: My priority would be to secure players who, above all else, truly want to come to Arsenal. I'm not interested in someone who has to be cajoled and persuaded. Better to wait for the right person than to panic buy and end up with another drain on our finances.

Dave: Indecisiveness always costs Arsenal each and every transfer window. We need the striker position sorted out rapidly. It has cost us two Premier League titles now. It's very reminiscent of the Arsene Wenger years with promises of decisiveness but delivery of nothing. Sort it out!

Martin: I'm not concerned about the first transfer window, that's mainly for the Club World Cup teams. Getting who we need in before the start of the Asian tour is very important; we don't want to leave it too close to the start of the season.

Edward: Nico Williams, but I heard he's happy with fewer trophies at Athletic Bilbao. Martin Zubimendi deal needs sorting or move on; strikers and quality backup for current players are a must. Depth cannot be an excuse anymore.

Andy: I'd like an early arrival in Zubimendi, but it isn't going to happen.

David: As I said on the live page on Friday, part of me wants Arsenal to at least do some business, the other part is reminding me that the proper window doesn't open for a month. As long as we can get the deals sorted now, I can wait for that month.