Arteta’s side even HARDER start than last season with MU opening day trip

ARSENAL will face Manchester United on the opening day of the new Premier League season.

The 2025/26 campaign commences on Friday, August 15, and will run through to May 24, 2026.

Mikel Arteta's troops have finished their last THREE domestic campaigns in second place, with Manchester City and, most recently Liverpool, pipping them to the title.

The north Londoners will be hoping to go one better this coming season and end what will be the club's 22-year wait for domestic glory.

And they've learned how their 2025/26 season will pan out.

First up is a trip to Old Trafford to kick off a difficult opening month, with newly promoted Leeds the first visitors to the Emirates.

A trip to Liverpool follows next in an early title clash - so Arteta will be keen to complete his transfer business early.

The tricky start continues after the first international break with Nottingham Forest and Manchester City the next two sides to visit North London.

Then the Gunners travel to Newcastle in what could be another top of the table clash.

October brings a London derby theme with games against West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace.

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But fans will have to wait a little longer for the North London Derby this year - Arsenal host Tottenham on November 22 with the return fixture on February 21.

A trip to Stamford Bridge follows while Arteta's side take on Brighton and Aston Villa over the festive period.

Premier League champions Liverpool come soon after on January 7, with United also playing at the Emirates in the same month.

Arsenal's campaign finishes in much kinder fashion to how it begins, with clashes against Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace in May.

Arteta will hope to field a wealth of summer signings for his troops' first domestic match of what could be a make-or-break season for his tenure.

The Spaniard has yet to sign any reinforcement but has promised the Emirates faithful to expect several arrivals in the coming weeks.

He said of the transfer window: “It’s going to be a big one and we are very excited about it.

“The way we planned the first five summers, they were going to be very big and they were going to have different objectives.

“In the beginning, there were a lot of players with three, four or five-year contracts.

"So the turnaround of the squad and how you visualise the next five years was very dependent on that.

“There are certain positions we didn’t expect to have someone like Ethan Nwaneri or Myles Lewis-Skelly contributing to, which has been great.

“The way you start to evolve, you start to master certain things then the changes cannot be that much.

"That’s where we are. The line now is thinner, the margins are smaller.

"But the cost of that, as well, increases. So it goes a little bit in a different direction.

“We want to increase the depth of the squad.

"But as well, we want to increase the quality and the skills we need to go to the next step.

“It’s a big summer for many things because first of all we have to maintain the good foundations that we have and then obviously how can we improve and evolve the team.”