Despite substantially improving from the previous season, Arsenal could not unseat Manchester City as English football's dominant force.
Their Premier League and European aspirations were shattered after a particularly trying three-day stretch in April when losses to Aston Villa and Bayern Munich shattered any hope of tangible success.
However, Mikel Arteta had enough time to recover from this disappointment; during the summer, he plotted to eventually depose Pep Guardiola's squad.
After accumulating 89 points in the Premier League last season, it appears that Arsenal didn't need to make any significant moves during this transfer window, especially compared to the previous year's.
It is still being determined if the Gunners have what it takes to win this campaign. But it's evident that barring some kind of unexpected catastrophe, they will again be among the best in the league at the season's conclusion.
While it may seem like a short-sighted move to pay £42 million ($54 million) for Riccardo Calafiori after his spectacular performance at Euro 2024 with Italy, Arsenal has followed the Bologna star for a while.
The Gunners have been through a rotating cast of left-backs in the past season, but the aggressive defender is expected to finally settle the problem.
Unless you include the permanent transfer of David Raya from loan to own, this is the sole signing that Arsenal has made thus far.
At the Emirates, Mikel Merino, a standout for Real Sociedad and Spain, could soon join Calafiori; he could provide Arteta with a different set of skills in the center of the field.
Rumor has it that another assailant is also in the crosshairs. It would be great to have Bukayo Saka as a right-wing backup since he has played so much football recently. However, finding the correct person is difficult because of PSR factors.
Contrarily, three players—Cedric Soares, Arthur Okonkwo, and Mohamed Elneny—have departed on free transfers, and three more—Karl Hein, Nuno Tavares, and Albert Sambi Lokonga—are due to spend another season on loan.
Only Smith Rowe stands out as a notable departure. Although the departure of the Hale End alum was seen with mixed emotions by Arsenal fans, it was eventually accepted as the wisest course of action for everyone involved.
When Fulham returns to the Emirates this season, he should receive a pleasant reception.
No one is more vital to Arteta's Arsenal than captain excellent Odegaard, but any long-term loss to Saka would be devastating.
In possession, the Norwegian is his team's nerve center; he helps build up play from deep, then bursts forward to rip the opposition defense apart with his otherworldly vision and technique.
He has an incredible impact on us daily, as Arteta remarked in the previous season. Our joy at having him is well-deserved. Even more could be on the horizon for the legendary midfielder.
Has he achieved all that he was capable of? With any luck, it won't, Arteta said. With any luck, more is on the way.
He has come a long way in just a few short seasons and is still relatively young. He plays a crucial role for the club, and we can continue to expand with any luck.
You can't discount Odegaard's leadership skills either.
He was the one who rushed to the microphone after last season's disappointing season-ending loss to Everton to promise that Arsenal will return even better this year.
"We've changed the club," he informed the Emirates crowd. You're all starting to believe us now.
We were much closer than last year and now ride a sound wave. We must recharge over the summer to return even more formidable in the fall. We will make every effort to win.
In the two seasons that have passed, Arteta has managed to win over viewers. It is now the moment to raise the Premier League trophy.
The Spaniard will know entirely well that this is his last chance to get even with Guardiola, his old mentor, since the City manager is expected to leave Manchester City after the season.
If that were to occur in 2026, Arsenal would be the heavy favorite to claim the championship.
However, Arteta will be greatly motivated to depose Guardiola as the leading English football coach before he retires. Honestly, it seems like City's luck is directly correlated to Arsenal's chances of taking home the trophy.
Getting more than the 89 points they scored last year from this team will be challenging. Getting the total to match this would be a triumph.
Then, they must cross their fingers and hope Manchester City makes more mistakes than the previous season, which isn't entirely out of the question.
Arteta will be wishing for a natural lapse in concentration on their part after four consecutive Premier League victories so that he may unleash his more vicious side.
On the other hand, Arsenal must demonstrate more excellent acumen in the Champions League. Last season, they lost to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals after a tense round-of-16 match against a mediocre Porto team.
Several players appeared rattled by the experience. After a four-year drought, fans would be overjoyed if the team finally started to take the domestic tournaments seriously.
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