Arsenal

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Arsenal open their Premier League campaign away to Manchester United on Sunday and Alex Moneypenny, host of Cannon Pod, believes the "huge" season opener will set the Gunners up for the season.

"It's massive for Arsenal to start well," Moneypenny said on a special Gunners episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"We spoke about Arsenal becoming more versatile and I think this is a game where we can really show it. I think it was Rob Edwards a couple of years ago who spoke about the different games Arsenal can play - and I see this as a running game.

"If you look at Manchester United's front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko with their wing-backs, can we go and match them or do we go different stylistically and try to control the game.

"Can we go and run through them with Kai Havertz or Viktor Gyokeres?

"I really don't know about United because they've caused us problems over the years.

"I'm interested to see how we set up and hopefully, we will have something for them. It's really fascinating and so primed for narratives.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

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Manchester United and Arsenal have each spent almost £200m over the summer, including the marquee signings of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, both of whom could make their competitive debuts when the sides meet at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Gunners narrowed their hunt for a striker down to a choice between the two players, according to BBC Sport's Alex Howell, eventually prioritising Gyokeres, who cost an initial £54.8m from Sporting.

The Swede had also been linked with a move to the Red Devils, where he would have been reunited with former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim.

But with Gyokeres heading to north London, United turned their attention to Sesko, beating Newcastle to his signature for an initial £66.3m from RB Leipzig.

Sesko only trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Sunday so it remains to be seen whether he is ready to begin the game against the Gunners.

Gyokeres, meanwhile, featured in three pre-season friendlies, scoring his first goal in last weekend's 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao, and is likely to make his Premier League bow as a starter. Should he score, he would become the first player to mark his debut in the competition with a goal away to United since Paolo Wanchope for Derby in 1997.

Time will tell who proves the most astute signing. Gyokeres is the more prolific, netting 68 times in 66 league appearances in two seasons at Sporting. While he is untested in one of the top five European leagues, the 27-year-old is already at his peak, which should suit the Gunners.

After three consecutive second-placed finishes, and with a squad boasting formidable depth in defence and midfield, Arsenal don't need a striker who may take several years to mature into the finished article. The priority is a player who can hit the ground running and help the club claim a first league title since 2004.

Sesko has more room for growth and – given his unusual combination of height and pace – arguably a higher ceiling. The 22-year-old, who netted 27 times in 64 Bundesliga appearances, overperformed his expected goals tally by 9.4 during his two seasons in Germany.

That was the league's second best figure, behind Harry Kane, and an early sign Sesko could prove to be an elite finisher.

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BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked two Arsenal players who will be worth watching out for in the next few months.

Cristhian Mosquera

Age: 21 Position: Centre-back Country: Spain

James Fielden: Mosquera looked largely untroubled throughout the Under-21s tournament in Slovakia.

A front foot and aggressive defender when he needs to be, he was extremely confident stepping forward and helping in attack. With recovery pace to help in rare situations of Spanish panic, he sounds like Mikel Arteta's kind of player.

Whether he can dislodge the established elite at Emirates Stadium is another matter, but Arsenal have had injury issues in the middle of defence, and he has only missed three games for Valencia over the last two seasons.

For a reported fee of £13m, he looks to be a low-risk and potentially high-reward acquisition.

Max Dowman

Age: 15 Position: Midfielder Country: England

Ian Dennis: I can't wait to see Arsenal's Max Dowman in the flesh because the last time I heard such a buzz around a youngster was Wayne Rooney.

I speak to a lot of scouts, and I have heard rave reviews for a while about this 'gifted' attacking midfielder.

So much so, I spoke with Gunners midfielder Declan Rice about him last season, who at the time claimed, "Max is the best 15-year-old in the country".

It was March when I sat down with Rice, who said at the time he had been inundated with great reviews about the teenager, explaining: "I've had so many texts about Max recently where people have watched him and are saying "wow, what a talent".

Dowman does not turn 16 until 31 December, but sounds the real deal.

James Fielden: Maybe not an original hot take that Dowman is going to be much talked about in years to come, but even having seen him play at the Uefa European Under-17 Championship this summer, you can see why he'll cause teams no end of problems wherever he plays off the front line.

One of a growing number of English players who glide across the field with the grace that we have maybe not been used to seeing over the past couple of decades.

It will be interesting to see what Arteta has planned for him, firstly in terms of game time beyond the domestic cups and also the position in which he'll be deployed.

Let's hope he fulfils his potential and is managed carefully at domestic and international level.

Read the full piece here

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• New signings Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi are both "fit to play" at Old Trafford.

• On Gyokeres: "I can only say how happy we are to have him. He is going to have a tremendous impact in the team and his adaptation has been really, really good."

• Arteta thinks his side "must keep digging" as one day "gold will be there" as they look to win the Premier League title.

• He added that the pressure is on but pointed out: "For three seasons [combined] we have more points than anybody else in the league and that says a lot about our consistency."

• On Martin Odegaard as captain: "My opinion is clear, and it is the same as all the staff and the players. I asked them to vote [for] the captain yesterday and by a mile, they all chose the same person, Martin Odegaard. [That] is the most clear sign you can have."

• On the competition in the Premier League: "It's getting stronger and stronger. There are teams that you wouldn't put on a piece of paper [to win the Premier League] right now but they will surprise everybody. With the squads, quality of their managers and the structure they have within their clubs, it's going to get more and more difficult."

• Arteta expects Manchester United to be "different" from last season, as they have "made some good signings in order to strengthen".

• Finally, the Arsenal boss characterised the rivalry between the two sides as "a piece of history" and said Sunday's game will "intense".

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news here

Listen to full commentary of Manchester United v Arsenal on BBC Radio 5 Live from 16:30 BST on Sunday

We have looked into the age profile of Arsenal's players for the 2025-26 season and recorded what percentage of minutes each of them played last campaign.

For the purpose of this exercise, we have deemed those under 24 as youth, between 24 and 30 as in their peak years and anyone over 30 to be a veteran.

The green represents new signings, who naturally did not play, red are those that have since left the club and yellow are all those that remain.

Arsenal had four players over 30 last season - including Raheem Sterling who was on loan - but have parted ways with three over the summer.

The graphic shows the vast majority of the Gunners squad are between 24 and 30 years old and arguably in their peak, including new signings Viktor Gyokeres and and Martin Zubimendi.

Time for them to fulfil their potential by winning some silverware.

Arsenal are ready to consider offers for Oleksandr Zinchenko, with Porto, Fenerbahce and Real Betis interested. (CaughtOffside), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

A new season is dawning again and with it will come the hopes of what your team can achieve.

For Arsenal fans, recent campaigns have often felt like 'nearly' ones.

Having been runners up in the Premier League for the past three seasons, supporters will be wondering if this will be the time they finally break their top-flight trophy duck.

It has been 21 years since the Gunners last came out on top in the league - too long many would say for the level of quality that has been in the side during that time.

However, fans have still been able to celebrate silverware.

Most recently, Mikel Arteta's team came out victors in the 2023 Community Shield, but when looking at major trophies, Arsenal supporters have to go back to the Spaniard's first season in charge when they lifted the FA Cup in an empty Wembley Stadium in 2020.

In fact, it is that historic piece of silverware that they have lifted the most since that last league triumph having won it on five occasions.

But, for the apparent progress that has been made under Arteta, the lack of major trophies is becoming more and more glaring.

Former forward Theo Walcott this week told a special episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast that the club will not win a trophy until the "mindset" of the team changes.

So, will this be the year the Gunners lift something big? And if so, which trophy are they most likely to win?

Make your choice here

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Summer addition Noni Madueke wants to bring the "old-school winger" back to Arsenal, according to former Gunner Theo Walcott.

On the eve of the season, BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast has delved into Arsenal's chances and Walcott is hopeful the new additions will give his old team a lift.

"Andrea Berta [Arsenal's sporting director] has brought in players who will make the squad better and Madueke is a player that will push Bukayo Saka to a different, new level," Walcott said.

"The load he will take off Bukayo this year is so key because of the amount of games. It's a World Cup year as well so, players will be thinking slightly differently towards the end of the season.

• Not an Arsenal fan? Find and follow your club here

"People also always forget that Madueke plays for England and they're having a go at him for not being good enough to play for Arsenal. But if you play for England, you're good enough to play for anyone.

"He can play on the left, he's a different dynamic and he'll like to go on the outside. Then, who have they got in the middle? Viktor Gyokeres. [Madueke] wants to bring back the old-school winger, a little bit like I was, so all you've got to do is put him in space and let him go on the outside.

"You have all these players now who are inverted and want to cut in and shoot but he can do both. He can play on the left and the right.He's a really good lad around the players as well so I think he's a great addition."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has offered up his annual predictions:

2) Arsenal

Last season: Second

This is the acid test for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. No more talk of process and progress. It is time for actual silverware after five years without a trophy.

This time, Arteta has been given all the required tools to do the job - an already talented squad bolstered by the class of Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi and - at long last and at least 12 months too late - a recognised striker in Viktor Gyokeres.

This is a team with enough to mount a meaningful title pursuit and challenge for the biggest prizes.

This time Arsenal and Arteta have no excuses. They must win a trophy this season - and there should be optimism at Emirates Stadium that they can do so.

Read the full piece

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Arsenal will not win a trophy until the "mindset" of the team changes, Theo Walcott told a special episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast

The former Gunner is concerned the "cycle of being second best" will continue into the new campaign, saying: "It's a mindset they don't want to go into.

"When I was playing for the club, top four was good enough. All of a sudden, that is implemented into the squad. The manager says he wants the top four and as players we saw that as the job in hand, and we did that.

"Of course, we wanted to win the league but we did our job - and that was top four."

"Now it's a different kind of element where people are expecting Arsenal to win but I'm not expecting them to - I'm really not. I want us to be competitive till the end of the season."

• Not a Gunners fan? Find and follow your team here

Arsenal have finished second for three straight seasons under Mikel Arteta, in the process giving up great opportunities to win their first title since 2004.

Last season however, they were out of the running a month from the end, as Liverpool clinched the league in April.

"They got distracted with the Champions League [last season] because the squad depth was too short and they didn't have the players that can take the load off certain players," Walcott added. "They played too much football.

"It's a different feeling this year but I still feel that there's elements of 'we'll just miss out again'. Maybe I'm negative or that's just how I see it but look, you can't get into that cycle of always being second best.

"I think it's going to be a continued pattern until that mindset changes."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Have you got a question about Arsenal or is there a topic you want more information on? Have you spotted a Gunners theme or trend that needs further investigation?

Well, this season we're making it easier for you to get in touch and ask - and we will do our best to use our expertise here at BBC Sport to give you direct answers.

Our team can call upon a network of contacts - including our reporters, pundits and other experts - to find out everything you need to know.

No question is too big or too small, so fire away using the link below and we will answer the best of them throughout the campaign.

Ask about Arsenal here

And find out more about BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything service here

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Jack Wilshere has decided to focus on taking his first steps into senior management rather than return to Arsenal.

BBC Sport revealed earlier this month that the former Gunners midfielder was a contender for the vacant under-21s head coach job following the departure of Mehmet Ali, who left to join Brentford.

It is understood Arsenal initially approached Wilshere to discover whether he would be willing to return in a job that would both give him charge of the Under-21s and offer a wider remit within the club's player development strategy.

After considering the role, it is understood Wilshere has informed the club of his decision to exit the process and therefore he is no longer a candidate for the position .

Wilshere is keen to move towards senior management and has informed Arsenal that his current focus is on trying to land a first-team coaching position.

All parties are said to be understanding of the situation with the decision reached entirely amicably.

The former Gunners midfielder left Emirates Stadium last season, where he had been under-18s manager, to work as first-team coach under then-Norwich manager Johannes Thorup.

Wilshere was later promoted to interim head coach after Thorup left the club in April, but departed Carrow Road earlier this summer after Norwich appointed Liam Manning as their new manager.

Wilshere remains a fans' favourite at Arsenal, having come through the ranks to make more than 150 starts for the club.

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Kai Havertz and new striker Viktor Gyokeres will "offer something completely different" this season for Arsenal, according to BBC football reporter Alex Howell.

Gyokeres' move to the Gunners this summer had left Havertz's position as first choice in question but Howell is confident Mikel Arteta will exploit the value of both forwards.

"It's definitely competition and it was really interesting to see Havertz on Saturday [in the 3-0 win over Athletic Club] when he replaced Gyokeres," Howell told a special Arsenal edition of the Football Daily podcast.

"The goal he scored was one of the most unlike Havertz goals I've ever seen from a ball hooked over the defence and him running past defenders. It's going to be interesting as Havertz is one of Arteta's favourite players.

"He loves what he does, he loves how clever he is and how much he links the attack. Although it doesn't seem like there is a natural place for him at the moment, I'd be surprised if he doesn't play as many if not more games as Gyokeres.

"That's because he knows the system and he's proven it for Arsenal in the league and in Europe as well.

"They'll offer something completely different, which is exactly what Arsenal need."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has questioned how Mikel Arteta's side will adapt to summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, and if the Gunners still need some additional reinforcements.

Walcott told a special Arsenal-focused episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast: "How long will it take to get used to playing with a number nine again?"

"Because they've essentially gone four, five years without a recognised number nine who does things out of the ordinary - a player like Robin van Persie.

"Gyokeres probably compares to an Olivier Giroud - not as good looking, I don't think, but he's definitely got an iconic celebration and one we want to see more of.

"My concern is about that dynamic between him and Bukayo Saka. Who is going to play on the left, with those connections? Who is going to play behind him? I think it's a really big season for Martin Odegaard compared to last.

"There are all of these different dynamics. I do feel Arsenal are stronger but will they finish above Liverpool? Because Liverpool are dangerous.

"I still feel like there are a couple [more players] they need for that icing on the cake."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

An episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast all about Arsenal has dropped on BBC Sounds.

Kelly Cates and guests chat all things Gunners before the 2025-26 Premier League season gets under way.

Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, BBC Sport football news reporter Alex Howell and Gunners fan Alex Moneypenny ask if Mikel Arteta's side are ready to go again and debate what a successful season looks like.

Listen to the full episode here

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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Only 36% of teams who are top at the end of September win the title - including Liverpool last season.

So how much does a good start indicate who will win the league?

The record amount of points after 10 games is 28 (nine wins and a draw). All those four teams - Manchester City (2011-12 and 2017-18), Chelsea (2005-06) and Liverpool (2019-20) went on to win the title.

But the two teams who had the next best starts, with 27 points - Newcastle (1995-96) and Arsenal (2022-23) - failed to convert it into silverware after infamous collapses.

Newcastle were top after 10 games in three consecutive seasons and did not win the title in any of them.

There are plenty of examples of teams picking up 26 points in their opening 10 games and not going on to win the title.

That includes Tottenham, who had a stunning start to life under Ange Postecoglou in 2023-24 before eventually finishing fifth.

However, seven teams have not even been on 20 points after 10 games and still won the title.

Manchester City came back to win the title by a clear 12 points in 2020-21. They were sixth, sitting on 18 points and three points off top, after 10 games.

That was the first of City's four titles in a row - and they were not top after 10 games in any of them.

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

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Hope springs eternal in the red side of north London, but Arsenal's transfer activity has given fans plenty of reasons to be bullish going into the new season.

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the Gunners have a bona fide striker in Viktor Gyokeres, signed for £64m from Sporting. He opened his account for Arsenal with a header against Athletic Bilbao during Saturday's Emirates Cup game.

Fans will be desperate for him to convert all Arsenal's dominance in possession into goals and points. Coupled with the arrival of Martin Zubimendi, who has shone throughout pre-season, this Arsenal side does look more prepared than before to deal with low blocks and to unpick deep-lying defences.

On the other hand, there is an undercurrent of impatience in the fanbase.

Following the 3-2 defeat by Villarreal last week, some fans had seemingly already resigned themselves to another trophyless season. Despite investments in attack with Noni Madueke and Gyokeres, Arsenal's build-up can still be slow and sterile.

While the new personnel bed in, there is still a reliance on both Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard to marshal the attack. In pre-season, both of them gave solid if unremarkable performances. Arsenal will need more from both of them this season.

Take a step back, though, and there is a bigger fear festering in the stands. A fourth second-place finish in the league is unprecedented.

If Arsenal do finish without any silverware, will the fans' patience with Mikel Arteta have run out?

Since he took over in 2019, Arteta has built a tight-knit group of players who have won back the love of the fans. But for all the positivity around the club, has this phase of Arsenal already reached its peak?

This season feels very make or break for many Arsenal fans. It is definitely time to convert trajectory into trophies.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

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