Premier League glory, Viktor Gyokeres woe, Real Madrid issue

Arsenal have backed Mikel Arteta ahead of the 2025/26 campaign with a heavy-spending summer and the pressure is now on the Gunners boss to finally deliver silverware after a few frustrating campaigns

Arsenal will hope that 2025/26 is finally their year under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners have finished second in each of the last three Premier League campaigns and remain desperate to go one better.

And the North London side have set their stall out with a lucrative summer. Arsenal have spent an eye-watering £200m so far this window.

Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke all represent their headline arrivals, while Kepa Arrizabala, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera have all signed to add more depth.

The only issue is that Arsenal aren't the only side to have strengthened, rivals Manchester City and Liverpool having also been very busy. So, will the Gunners' business be enough for them to finally get over the line in the Premier League?

Mirror Football writers have taken a look into their crystal balls to see how the next 10 months could pan out for Arteta's men:

Arsenal have finally gotten what they’ve needed for years - a clinical striker. Viktor Gyokeres' 97 goals across just two seasons with Sporting Lisbon suggests he could bring some much needed goals to North London.

And I very much think he’ll do that. I can see him hitting at least 20 across both the Premier League and the Champions League which represents a very healthy return for a debut campaign. But I still don’t think it will be enough to cut the gap to Liverpool at the top of the table.

The Reds were simply too good last season and the additions they’ve made over the summer should make them even stronger. So the Gunners might have to do with second once again.

That could even see the futures of their star players called into question. William Saliba is set to enter the final two years of his contract and you’d imagine speculation over a move to Real Madrid could potentially be set to ramp up.

The same could also be certainly said of Bukayo Saka, who will no doubt have his admirers elsewhere. So while the pair look set to stay where they are for now, their futures could soon be called into question following another season without silverware.

How will Arsenal's 2025/26 season go? Share your predictions in the comments below

Fourth time's the charm? Is that a thing? Arsenal had the foundation and the opportunity to take advantage of Manchester City falling away last season, and their failure to do so must still anger them.

Fans pointed to bad luck, conspiracy and injuries in varying degrees of intensity, with only the former and latter holding any credence. The Gunners were unlucky, particularly with the fixture list, and fitness issues did indeed hamper them at crucial points. It's just... not enough though is it?

This time around they have to be sharper, and crucially more creative. Mikel Arteta now oversees a team determined to beat you by brute force, not winning many points for artistry as they do so.

The addition of Viktor Gyokeres again seems more about slog than style, and unless Arteta addresses the glaring lack of creativity when Martin Odegaard is out or off form then Arsenal look like falling short of their main goals again.

Bukayo Saka is a superstar, obviously, and he'll have another excellent season to make up for the last one, but Gyokeres could end up becoming a fall guy for the struggle to be expansive, and it wouldn't be a shock to see Kai Havertz eventually preferred to him in attack unless they get the service right to the Swede.

Arteta needs a trophy, but the FA Cup might be his best bet. As in the league they won't come second again, but third.

Feels entirely reasonable to be optimistic about Arsenal this summer. They have finished second three straight times and have signed some good players, so could this be their year finally?

I’m still not convinced. But with a proper centre-forward in the fold now, in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, they have another string to their bow. Gyokeres is a battering ram of a striker – a proper all-rounder who I’m certain will improve the Gunners’ attack.

Martin Zubimendi is a classy midfielder who should help further unleash the goalscoring instincts Declan Rice showed last season, Noni Madueke is a fun addition on the wing and the defence, which was the best in the Premier League last year, remains relatively unchanged.

With Max Dowman coming up to join Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the exciting youth ranks, there should be plenty for fans to cheer about.

The problem may just be that the competition is too strong. Liverpool have bolstered their ranks with some eye-catching signings and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City should be back in the mix too. I’m not sure Arsenal have the depth of their rivals and an injury to Bukayo Saka, William Saliba or Rice could derail their league campaign. A trophy in a cup competition appears the most likely route to success.

This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to Liverpool losing the Community Shield, I think Arsenal will win the Premier League. The Gunners' summer was all about getting a striker but the addition of Martin Zubimendi will be what makes the difference.

He’ll give Mikel Arteta a different dimension at the base of midfield, where creativity was heavily reliant on Martin Odegaard, and English fans will see just why the 26-year-old was so coveted. Viktor Gyokeres wouldn’t have been my first choice but he’ll definitely make Arsenal stronger and he won’t need to start every game like a £100million-plus signing would.

Noni Madueke is the only signing I’m truly skeptical about, mostly because of how else the Gunners could’ve spent £52m as well as how good Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri look. Their squad has some serious depth now, though, and I reckon they’ll all have winners' medals come May.

Viktor Gyokeres is the signing Arsenal needed to make, and his goals will get them to the tally they would have needed to win the Premier League last season. Unfortunately for them, it won’t be enough this time.

It’s hard to knock much of what Andrea Berta has done, save for the fact that it’s maybe a bit too much movement from one season to the next. For this reason, the Gunners might be relying on bigger seasons from Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori than some think right now.

Ethan Nwaneri’s development will be one of the big things to look out for. He can offer another route through and reduce reliance on Martin Odegaard to create from deep, while I get the sense we’ll see a bit more of Kai Havertz as a number eight.

If it works as planned, it could bring Arsenal that elusive league title. The problem comes from the fact that Liverpool have also strengthened from a higher base, with Chelsea and Manchester City also looking stronger.

I’ve got Arsenal finishing second behind Arne Slot’s team again, and plenty won’t be too happy with that. A Champions League success after last season’s run to the semis, though? Don’t rule it out.