The Premier League is nearly upon us, so let’s take a look at the Arsenal roster and make a few predictions about what individual seasons might look like. Projecting this year might be more difficult because of the additions of Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyökeres. I expect Mikel Arteta to make more changes to the way his side plays than in years past based around those guys and what they bring to the table.
Any season can be derailed by injuries, as Arsenal were reminded of last season, but there
isn’t much use in talking about injuries in player previews unless the specific player has a history. For example, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Magalhaes’ hamstring problems were (hopefully) one-offs for guys who have otherwise been durable. There isn’t much reason to talk about injuries with them. Riccardo Calafiori, on the other hand, had some injury issues before joining the Gunners, struggled to stay fit last season, and missed preseason time with a minor something or other. He’s a guy where any evaluation / projection has to account for health.
I’m trying something new this season by lumping the entire roster together into one post rather than splitting it up by position. Hopefully that forces me to be more succinct. Are there any players you have strong feelings / predictions about heading into the season? Let us know in the comments!
Goalkeepers
David Raya
The Spanish keeper has won / shared the Golden Glove for two consecutive seasons, and there is little reason to think he won’t be among the Premier League leaders in clean sheets again. I’m a tad bit worried about the errors on the ball that crept into his play at the end of the season because we saw a few loose touches from him in the preseason. Don’t get me wrong — he’ll be one of the best keepers in Europe again this year.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
The summer signing is a significant upgrade over Neto as a backup keeper, who made a grand total of one appearance for the club. Kepa will play more than that. But he’s the backup keeper, hopefully we won’t have to talk or think about him at all this season.
Defenders
William Saliba
There isn’t much new to say about William Saliba. He’s one of the best centerbacks in the world, and at 24, he is still on the “improving” side of the age curve. The partnership and understanding he has with Gabriel (and vice-versa) makes both of them better, and we saw that Saliba, while still elite, didn’t look quite as good with the Brazilian out injured. He’s scored two Premier League goals each of the last three seasons, maybe he can bump that up to three or four. Getting his new contract squared away is one of the most important pieces of business still outstanding for the club.
Gabriel Magalhaes
The Brazilian’s time on the shelf last season due to hamstring surgery said / showed more about his value to Arsenal than any words I could write. But I’ll take a stab at it: he was my Arsenal POTY up until he got hurt. The Gunners missed his partnership with William Saliba and missed his prowess on set pieces, both attacking and defending. He has scored the most goals among defenders since he joined the Premier League in 2020. 43% of the goals Arsenal allowed from set pieces came after he was injured. His injury occurred in early April. He’ll score 4 0r 5 goals (again) this season and be a big part of the reason Arsenal have the best defense in the PL.
Jakub Kiwior
The Polish defender impressed deputizing for Gabriel Magalhaes in April and May. He was quite good in his consistent stretch of games two seasons ago, too. People’s opinions of him seem to be unfairly colored by a poor showing he put in against Liverpool as he was getting into rhythm in ‘23-’24 and by a hyper-fixation on his slightest mistake. He’s a solid player and an excellent second-choice centerback. He’s the best long, aerial passer among the Arsenal CBs. He’s been linked with a move away from the Emirates this summer, but I think Arsenal will keep him around. Hopefully his strong performances last season give Mikel Arteta the confidence to rotate him into the lineup more frequently to keep Saliba and Gabriel fresher.
Cristhian Mosquera
The 21-year-old summer signing had an impressive preseason. He moves really well, especially for a guy his height (6’3”) and build (kinda long-legged and a bit awkward-looking). He showed confidence on the ball and solid passing, albeit in limited minutes. Mikel Arteta has shown that he likes to ride his first-choice centerbacks hard (like all managers do — Arteta is no different than his peers) but hopefully Mosquera earns Arteta’s trust and gets significant minutes in the cups.
Jurrien Timber
The Dutch fullback probably played more last season than you’d want a player coming off a torn ACL to play. That, in turn, led to some nagging muscular issues and injuries that slowed him on and off. He had ankle surgery at the end of last season. Despite all that, he was still pretty darn good. Imagine how he’ll look if he stays healthier this season. Timber’s fitness is linked with that of Ben White, who missed a chunk of last season recovering from knee surgery. Mikel Arteta asks a lot of his fullbacks physically, so the more the pair can rotate and keep each other fresh, the better.
Ben White
I could say pretty much the same thing about Ben White as just did about Jurrien Timber. White has been slowed by injuries but should (hopefully) be back to fitness this season. Ben White has a better chance to stay fit if Timber stays fit. There is a reason people talk about the White-Ødegaard-Saka triangle down the right — the trio have excellent chemistry. We saw some of it on display in the preseason after not seeing much of it last year because of injuries. And you can’t talk about Ben White without mentioning his shithousing antics, especially on set pieces. Here’s to a full season of them!
Riccardo Calafiori
The Italian Stallion, Ricky California, is Arsenal’s biggest health question mark coming into the season. Calafiori missed weeks at a time last year with issues stemming from a knee injury sustained playing for Italy over the first international break of the season and missed time in the preseason with a knock. He is a difference-maker when he’s on the pitch. He’s always looking to get forward and create chaos in attacking areas. His defending, particularly at left back compared to LCB, leaves a bit to be desired, but he’ll add more going forward than he costs the team on the other end. If he stays healthy, he’ll be LANS (like a new signing) in a really positive way.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
It will be tough for the teenager to match his breakout season, if only because he was so surprisingly good last year. Of all the Arsenal defenders, I’m most concerned about MLS because he had a middling preseason. It’s a mild concern, mind you. He was fine in the preseason, but he didn’t dazzle in the same way he has in the past. Keep an eye on the defensive side of his game.
Midfielders
Martin Zubimendi
One of Arsenal’s big signings, Martin Zubimendi is a welcome addition in central midfield. Not only does it mean that Arsenal’s starting defensive midfielder isn’t dealing with legal issues that are a blight on the football club, but he’s also much better than Thomas Partey. Simply put, Zubimendi plays the ball at one and two touches. He’s quick to move the ball. He drops intelligently to receive possession, and he’s proactive off the ball. He needs to adjust to the Premier League, but there’s a reason he’s been wanted by most of Europe’s best clubs. I fully expect him to play a significant role in changing how Arsenal play.
Christian Nørgaard
Signed in the summer to deputise for Martin Zubimendi, Nørgaard has plenty of Premier League experience. A strong ball-winner, his likely role is to start Carabao Cup games and perhaps the odd game or two in the Premier League. More than that, though, he gives Arsenal a closing option in midfield with his physical presence.
Declan Rice
Rice was a little more double-pivoty with Zubimendi in the final pre-season game, and we could see his next evolution as an all around midfielder. He scored some crucial goals last season – the winner against Newcastle, the goals against Real Madrid – and he should benefit from no longer having to do the running for two players. Every season Rice adds a new trick, which is exciting: he was already a £100m player, but since coming to Arsenal, he’s added set piece prowess, and a prowess as a #8. I also wonder if we’ll see more quick switches of play from him, something that he has in his locker.
Mikel Merino
Merino’s stint as Arsenal’s emergency centre forward did a lot to re-write the narrative of his season. But with Declan Rice Arsenal’s #8, it’s hard to see where midfield starts come for Merino, assuming all goes well. All in all, a weird signing, who probably cost too much for the depth option that he’s become.
Martin Ødegaard
Arsenal need their playmaker back at his best. Hopefully, he’s no longer hampered by an ankle injury and a need to not only be Arsenal’s chief creator, but also dropping deep to play out from the back–we want Ødegaard to do one of those things, not both. The return of Ødegaard to full fitness and Saka should see Arsenal’s right hand pod return. The intriguing thing will be whether Ødegaard adjusts his game for Gyökeres and starts playing more passes behind for runners to chase. We know he can do it, but it’s not been part of the game model.
Attackers
Bukayo Saka
As Bukayo Saka goes, so does the Arsenal attack. I keep coming back to this stat but Saka was averaging a goal involvement per Premier League game last season before getting injured — only Mo Salah had a better fall, statistically. Saka has his right-side pod of Martin Ødegaard and Ben White back alongside him and a full summer of rest under his belt. It’s going to be a BIG year for Bukayo, and Arsenal need him to be a superstar.
Gabriel Martinelli
For many, this is a “make or break” year for Gabriel Martinelli. I’m not in that camp. Yes, he needs to increase his goal contributions, but his play down the stretch last season was quietly very good, even if he wasn’t turning up on the scoresheet. His defensive workrate is vastly underappreciated by the public (but I’d wager not by Mikel Arteta). From the newly released player tracking data, he’s also the fastest player at Arsenal and his 18.5 sprints per 90 are only eclipsed by the 19.2 mark posted by new signing Noni Madueke. Martinelli showed a nice, budding chemistry with Viktor Gyökeres. A less-isolated Gabby could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Leandro Trossard
My gut tells me Trossard moves next summer, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he was sold in January or even before the close of the window on September 1st. His contract expires at the end of the season, but the club reportedly hold an option for an additional year. The Belgian has the skill and talent to stand out in the best way in some matches, but also goes disappointingly quiet in others. He’s been at his best for Arsenal as a super-sub and that’s hopefully what his role is this season because if he’s starting, it’s an indication that something has gone wrong – injury, form, etc.
Noni Madueke
“Oh no, not another Chelsea signing,” cry the fools. Noni Madueke joining Arsenal this summer raised some eyebrows. Yeah, that seems a polite way to put it. You know whose signing also did that? Kai Havertz. How’d that one turn out? Madueke is an elite attacker. Statistically, he was one of the best dribblers in the PL last season, at the top in successful take-ons and take-ons ending in a shot. He also brings pace and direct play to an attack that has been criticized for getting plodding and bogged down at times. He played almost entirely on the left wing in preseason, but played mostly right wing at Chelsea. He’ll primarily rotate on the left, but it’s good to know that he can rotate in for Bukayo Saka, too.
Ethan Nwaneri
It’s a big season for Ethan Nwaneri. He signed a new contract to keep him at Arsenal for the next four or five years and it’s his first campaign as a full member of the first team with a spot in the dressing room (he couldn’t have one last year because of his age). He was deployed primarily in the Ødegaard spot in the preseason, as compared to last season where he played mostly on the wing. His dribble and shot mentality will provide a solid change-of-pace and style from that of the Arsenal captain and make the attack more difficult to defend.
Kai Havertz
The German led Arsenal in Premier League goals despite missing nearly half the season to injury. He’s important to the build-up play through the midfield and into the attacking third and key to the combination play around the edge of the box. His workrate and tackling makes him a big part of the pressing scheme, too. He’s too good and important to keep off the field, even with the addition of Viktor Gyökeres as an out-and-out striker in place of Havertz’s false 9. My hope is that they keep each other fresh and can be deployed, as needed, to best attack the weaknesses of opposing defenses.
Viktor Gyökeres
There is no player facing greater pressure to perform this season than the Swedish striker. He’s the big signing. The striker that Arsenal have (supposedly, probably) needed. He loves to run in behind and is always looking to find space to shoot. He’s a very good ball-striker. In preseason, his relentless motor and willingness to push the defensive line seemed to create space, both on the wings and through the middle, for his attacking teammates to operate. You’d expect a bit of a learning curve as he works himself into the Arsenal attack and the attack works him in.
At time of publishing, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, and Gabriel Jesus are all still Arsenal players. All of them have been linked with moves away from the club and probably won’t be with the club come the close of the transfer window on September 1st. Of that bunch, I’d guess Zinchenko and Jesus are the most likely to not be moved but for different reasons. If Zinchenko doesn’t move, it’ll be because Arsenal didn’t get a good enough offer to sell him and if Gabriel Jesus doesn’t move, it’ll be because of his injury recovery. He’s not expected back in action until November or December. But honestly, even if they’re not sold, loans feel more likely (perhaps a January loan for Gabby J) than spending the season in North London.
