Arsenal

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

Image source, Getty Images

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

Image source, Getty Images

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

Hear more from Laura on this page all season and remember you can sign up for Arsenal news notifications here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Former Arsenal star Santi Cazorla expects the Gunners to fight for honours this season and has backed their transfer business.

The midfielder, who helped Real Oviedo to promotion to La Liga last season, also believes Mikel Aretra is one of the world's best coaches.

Cazorla made 180 appearances for Arsenal in six years before leaving in 2018 to join Villarreal after a recovering from a series of serious Achilles issues.

Cazorla and Arteta played together at the Emirates, winning two FA Cups, with the latter taking the Gunners to their Premier League opener at Manchester United on Sunday.

Cazorla told BBC Sport: "I'm sure they will fight for everything. They are signing very good players - [Martin] Zubimendi and [Viktor] Gyokeres from Sporting.

"I love this club now. They are a really good team and have one of the best coaches in the world. I know him very well and he was my captain when I was there.

"They have good young players like [Bukayo] Saka, [Martin] Odegaard, [Gabriel] Martinelli, [William] Saliba.

"They are ready to fight with the best teams in the Premier League and it was amazing to watch them against Real Madrid and PSG, but sometimes in football you don't have luck.

"I always support and follow them."

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal finally have an out-and-out striker in Viktor Gyokeres and will believe that, after three successive second places, he can get them over the line in a title race.

Their top scorer in the Premier League last season was Kai Havertz with nine goals, so that tells you what they have been missing.

How Gyokeres fits in is one of the things I am really looking forward to finding out in the new campaign, and it is the same with other strikers at new clubs, like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Chelsea.

I don't think they are finished yet in the transfer market, and their attack is already looking a lot more dangerous than last season.

Read the full Shearer column here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether Arsenal are ready for the new season after the Gunners completed their pre-season campaign with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Vince: All due respect to the other teams, I reckon Arsenal's greatest enemy this coming season is themselves. We have in Saliba and Gabriel two world-class defenders, four world-class midfielders in Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard and Saka, and in Gyokeres, a bona fide forward seemingly in his prime. If they don't choke like they have before, the sky is the limit.

Joe: We've had a mixed pre-season with excellent recruiting but mixed performances. We've shown glimpses of absolute brilliance with much improved strength in depth. Zubimendi and Max Dowman both look ready for the Premier League. But, we look like we are still trying to make all the connections and our opening six matches won't give us the luxury of time.

Gary: If we can sign Eze, that might be the final part of the jigsaw we need to win the title. Martinelli not good enough on the left in my view.

Gadge: The dream when a new season starts is we win everything - childish and unrealistic but at 65 I don't care. Good luck to the lads. I hope every Gunners fan's dreams come true.

Andrew: As ready as we can be. We've added a top class striker (note that his weakness is supposed to be headers, and he scores and hits the post with headers in his first game). Havertz is back to chip in as well. I thought Zubimendi would be a pure six but he and Rice seem more to share the role. Between the other recruits and and the kids we have improved our depth. You cannot predict what's coming, but we've done what we can to prepare, and done it early.

Guy: Arsenal aren't ready. The team has had a poor pre-season and look disjointed. They have played for years without a striker and fitting one in will take some time. This is going to be a tricky season for Arsenal and I can see Arteta being sacked before Christmas.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This season is an important one for Arsenal and nobody around the club is scared to say it. The players, manager and even the kit launch have all referenced the 'reach new heights' tag - or a version of it - as they look to win a trophy for the first time since 2020.

The Gunners have spent more than £190m in initial fees as they look to refresh the squad and bring in new players, including the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting.

Mikel Arteta has done an excellent job in transforming Arsenal into repeat contenders in the league and brought consistent Champions League football but now it is time for them to take the next step. This will be a pressured season after coming so close for so many seasons now.

Arteta looks to have tweaked the way Arsenal are playing, too. During pre-season the Gunners have played the ball through the lines quicker, looking to get the ball forward into areas where they can score goals.

All of that has been done to complement Gyokeres' style of play and, although it may take time, if it clicks Arsenal are going to come very close again.

Pre-season is completed and the countdown to the 2025-26 season is on.

It's been a busy summer at Arsenal with six arrivals and six departures.

The Gunners start the season at Manchester United on Sunday - but are they ready?

Get in touch

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal completed their pre-season preparations with a dominant 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

First-half goals from new signing Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners a 2-0 half time lead.

Kai Havertz completed the scoring late on before Arsenal also won a post-match penalty shootout 6-5.

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The youngest player in Premier League history.

Arsenal's youngest English league scorer since 1982.

The youngest player in the club's history to score on his first two starts.

The second youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League.

Ethan Nwaneri is a special player - and now is tied down at Arsenal until 2030.

Last season, the Hale End graduate was required to step up after Bukayo Saka succumbed to injury and made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and registering two assists.

"He never [looks nervous], he's so composed, calm and confident in his ability," said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta after Nwaneri found the net in a 2-1 win at Girona in January. "At 17, scoring a really important goal in the Champions League is not very common."

Nwaneri celebrated his 18th birthday in March and of attack-minded players under the age of 19 in Europe's big five leagues only Barcelona's Lamine Yamal ranks higher in terms of output.

Yamal has been producing exceptional numbers since his first La Liga start as a 16-year-old in 2023 and the Spanish winger was on the pitch for almost 2,000 more top-flight minutes during the season just gone.

You have been sharing your stories and photos about why you love Wolves.

Here is a final selection of your submissions, but do make sure you scroll down this page to see all the best responses from throughout the week:

Zain: Coming from immigrant parents, supporting a team wasn't a given - it was a choice. Nearly everyone at school supported either Manchester United or Liverpool and so while I wanted to go against the grain, I still needed a spark, and that was Sir Ian Wright.

From copying his celebrations in the playground to also being told I wasn't good enough at school, Wrighty changed my life and my love for Arsenal was born.

I now regularly take my son to Emirates Stadium and think he's a bigger Gooner than me!

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos about why you fell in love with Arsenal.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Caplan: When I was young, my friends and I used to climb on to roofs of terraced houses to watch the game. One Saturday, I got too emotional up there and lost my footing, sliding off into a lady's back garden. I broke my arm and got a massive telling off from my dad, who had to come and get me from the hospital, but nothing will ever take away the amazing feeling I had from watching the Gunners beat Manchester United at the old ground. Now I'm a pensioner who has given my grandkids that love for Arsenal.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice has been named as one of 30 Ballon d'Or nominees.

Rice made 52 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal last season, scoring nine and assisting 10.

The winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, along with the other prizes, will be announced on 22 September 2025 during a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris.

Alongside Rice, David Raya was nominated for the 2025 Yashin Trophy, which is for the best goalkeeper.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was also nominated for the 2025 Kopa Trophy, presented to the best under-21 men's footballer.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Arsenal's penultimate pre-season match against Villarreal.

Here are some of your comments:

Darren: I know it's early days but I just can't get excited just yet. We are overplaying the ball far too much as always and lacking ideas. It seems no-one (except Max Dowman who was brilliant again) seems to have any forward drive. Just the same old Arsenal playing the same old way but with some new faces. I hope I am proven wrong.

Kenan: It's a normal process of team bonding. Once that cohesion and understanding is established, Arsenal will be fine. I actually like some flashes of what I saw.

Evan: Very worrying performance. Looked so open through the middle in defence, especially in transition. Created so many opportunities down the sides, which we were meant to start converting 'once we signed a proper striker'. I think those slating Kai Havertz might quickly start to see the benefits he brings to our attack off the ball, as Viktor Gyokores hasn't offered much in his two appearances so far.

Will: Some fans are going to start complaining, but this is a pre-season to work out all the kinks. Yes, our defending was shoddy today, but I believe we will hit the ground running against Manchester United. Noni Madueke showed glimpses of what he can do, which will hopefully shut a few haters up, and Dowman will definitely get some game time this season (even if it's in the cup). Gyokores showed a few flashes of brilliance, but he'll hopefully be up to speed soon.

Mervyn: Worrying - or encouraging - that the two best players in red and white out there were the youngest.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs

When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.

And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.

"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.

"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.

"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.

"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.

"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."

A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.

But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.

"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.

"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."

As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?

"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.

"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.

"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."

Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.

And check out those from other Premier League teams over here

Arsenal and Tottenham are waiting for a signal from Brazil international Rodrygo, 24, before making a move for the Real Madrid forward. (TBR Football), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It was only a pre-season friendly against Villarreal, yet there was still a feeling of excitement and anticipation heading to Emirates Stadium as Arsenal supporters looked to see new £64m signing Viktor Gyokeres in action.

Fans are desperately hoping the 27-year-old striker will be the missing piece whose arrival allows the Gunners to lift a trophy for the first time since 2020.

The loudest cheers before kick-off were for Gyokeres when his name was read out in the starting line-up. The only noise to rival it came for the introduction of talented 15-year-old Max Dowman.

There was expectation every time the ball went near the Sweden international and it looked as though his team-mates were also trying to make sure Gyokeres scored on his first start, and at his new home ground.

That did not happen but there were promising signs, and the hour Gyokeres played will be crucial to his fitness before Arsenal start the new Premier League season at Manchester United on Sunday, 17 August.

Read more here

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he is hoping to have Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard available for the pre-season match with Athletic Club on Saturday.

Havertz was not named in the squad for Wednesday's 3-2 defeat by Villarreal but Arteta is hopeful it is a minor issue.

"Yesterday in training he felt something and this morning he wasn't quite right, so we decided to rest him," he said.

"I think it's going to be a matter of a couple of days, hopefully the weekend, if everything goes to plan, I think he will be fit."

Trossard, Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes all picked up knocks on tour but Gabriel was fit enough to be introduced as a second-half substitute.

"Yes, the three that we lost during the tour, it was big Gabi, Leo and Ricky, and for Saturday I think both of them have a chance if everything in the next few days evolves in the way it has been evolving in the last few days," added Arteta.