Arsenal 2025-26 season summary: Top scorer, best moment, new signings and full verdict on Mikel Arteta's campaign

Six years, 350 matches and implicit £1bn later, Mikel Arteta's five-phase Arsenal program is yet complete.

When the UK was successful lockdown, the Gunners had been tipped to spell down - the words 'Arsenal' and 'relegation' were unironically being utilized successful the aforesaid condemnation portion the #ArtetaOut brigade grew successful numbers.

However, the erstwhile Gunners midfielder defied the doubters with the backing of the Kroenkes, Edu, Richard Garlick, AirPod Albert and countless different lieutenants, yet delivering a long-awaited 4th Premier League title to the Emirates faithful.

Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth summary of Arsenal's unforgettable 2025-26 season.

Arsenal 2025-26 play summary

Arsenal's 2025-26 play began successful quintessential Arsenal manner - a constrictive win, a cleanable sheet, a set-piece extremity and a steadfast dose of VAR controversy, each astatine the disbursal of Manchester United successful a 1-0 triumph astatine Old Trafford.

The Gunners' gritty triumph implicit their rivals was lone bully capable for a sixth-placed ranking aft the archetypal gameweek, but apical spot belonged to Arteta's broadside arsenic aboriginal arsenic matchday two, acknowledgment to a Viktor Gyokeres and Jurrien Timber-inspired 5-0 battering of Leeds United successful their opening location game.

However, Liverpool were inactive fans and pundits' favourites to clasp their crown astatine this point, and the Reds enhanced their rubric credentials erstwhile Dominik Szoboszlai's astounding escaped footwear condemned Arsenal to their archetypal nonaccomplishment of the season, and their archetypal Premier League decision to a Big Six nine since May 2023.

The Gunners rapidly dusted themselves down to drawstring unneurotic an 11-game unbeaten tally successful the Premier League, 1 that ended astatine the hands of Unai Emery's Aston Villa, but Arteta's broadside rapidly hushed the inevitable vessel speech by winning their adjacent 5 Premier League fixtures either broadside of the New Year.

By this point, Arsenal had held apical spot successful the Premier League table ever since gameweek seven, and not adjacent a dissatisfactory tally of 2 wins from 7 Premier League matches betwixt January 8 and February 18 allowed Man City to claw backmost their points deficit.

Red and achromatic apprehension began to creep successful again aft successive defeats to Bournemouth and the Sky Blues, but consecutive wins implicit Newcastle United, Fulham and West Ham United took Arsenal to wrong 2 victories of rubric stardom.

Inevitably, Arsenal made beingness arsenic hard arsenic imaginable for themselves against Burnley successful the penultimate gameweek of the season, but that 1-0 triumph coupled with Man City's slip-up astatine Bournemouth the adjacent evening ended 22 decades of home dismay.

Not contented with conscionable conquering England, Arsenal besides sought to yet implicit their decades-long ngo successful the Champions League, successful which they became the archetypal squad to extremity the league signifier with a 100% record.

Rewarded for their 8/8 with a favourable way to the final, the Gunners eked retired constrictive successes implicit Bayer Leverkusen and Sporting Lisbon to scope back-to-back semi-finals for the archetypal clip ever, and Arteta's men rectified their 2024-25 mistakes to scope the Budapest showpiece astatine the disbursal of Atletico Madrid.

There, Arsenal restricted the competition's apical scorers Paris Saint-Germain to conscionable the 1 punishment extremity successful 120 minutes, but aft 2 hours of heroics successful his ain area, Gabriel Magalhaes concisely turned villainous, blasting the decisive punishment implicit the barroom arsenic PSG retained their Champions League crown.

Up until March 22, the quadruple phantasy could person inactive go a world for Arsenal, who sought to extremity 33 years of EFL Cup wounded by getting the amended of Man City successful the Wembley final.

None of Arteta's squad had adjacent been calved the past clip the Gunners won the League Cup, and that information inactive applies now, arsenic trophy victor extraordinaire Guardiola worked his Wembley magic alongside Nico O'Reilly to permission Arsenal heartbroken.

Less than a fortnight connected from becoming the archetypal squad to suffer 4 successive League Cup finals, Arsenal's FA Cup dreams besides went up successful smoke, arsenic a second-string squad were deservedly beaten by Southampton successful the quarter-finals.

Defeat astatine St Mary's prolonged a achy FA Cup series for the Gunners, who inactive boast an unparalleled 14 triumphs successful the tourney but person present failed to marque it beyond the quarter-finals since their past occurrence successful 2020.

Arsenal trophies won 2025-26

Arsenal won their 4th trophy of the Arteta epoch - Community Shields included - successful the 2025-26 season, arsenic their Premier League occurrence marked their 14th top-flight rubric successful their 140-year history.

The Gunners' triumph besides saw them extremity the longest hold betwixt 2 Premier League titles; the erstwhile biggest two-title spread was a specified 5 years betwixt Liverpool's 2020 and 2025 coronations.

However, Arsenal's EFL Cup last nonaccomplishment means that they are without occurrence successful that contention for 33 years, and the torturous hold for a maiden UCL honour volition proceed for different play astatine least.

Arsenal apical scorer 2025-26: Viktor Gyokeres (21)

While not hitting the aforesaid Gerd Muller trophy-worthy heights arsenic helium did successful his last twelvemonth astatine Sporting Lisbon, Viktor Gyokeres overcame incessant disapproval and scepticism to go a stellar acquisition for Arsenal.

The Sweden planetary comfortably finished the run arsenic Arsenal's apical scorer successful each tournaments with 21 goals, including a respectable 14 successful the Premier League astatine a complaint of 0.57 goals per 90 - amended than each of Ollie Watkins, Antoine Semenyo, Joao Pedro and Morgan Gibbs-White contempt their higher wide totals.

Even successful matches wherever Gyokeres did not find the backmost of the net, helium would grounds classical centre-forward play and enviable spot to the delight of the Emirates faithful, specified arsenic successful the 2nd limb of the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal subordinate of the play 2025-26: David Raya 

Making the intolerable look imaginable connected respective occasions this season, Premier League Player of the Season nominee David Raya has a beardown statement to statement himself the champion goalkeeper connected the planet.

The 30-year-old has an outstanding defence successful beforehand of him, but that was lone 1 origin successful his 3rd successive Premier League Golden Glove and 19 top-flight cleanable sheets, not to notation 9 successful the Champions League - 1 abbreviated of the all-time play record.

From his flying halt against Yankuba Minteh and lightning-quick reflexes vs. Kevin Schade, to an indescribable goal-line John McGinn prevention and THAT Mateus Fernandes intervention, Raya's catalogue of sensational saves makes for jaw-dropping viewing.

Arsenal's champion infinitesimal of the 2025-26 season

The infinitesimal erstwhile they recovered retired they were Premier League champions, oregon the infinitesimal erstwhile they lifted the Premier League trophy successful beforehand of their beloved supporters? Take your pick.

But arsenic photo-worthy arsenic Arsenal's authoritative celebrations were, determination whitethorn person been a tinge of disappointment that the Gunners did not locomotion up to the podium connected their ain turf, whereas Emirates rapture ensued the 2nd the last whistle blew astatine the Vitality Stadium connected May 19, 2026.

The detonation of subordinate euphoria astatine the London Colney grooming ground, Arsenal stars rocking up to the Emirates astatine 5am the adjacent greeting and the chaotic scenes crossed Africa each came unneurotic to nutrient 1 unforgettable infinitesimal for the Premier League champions.

Arsenal's biggest disappointment of the 2025-26 season

From the highest of the highs to the lowest of the lows, Arsenal's delirium turned to dejection erstwhile the ever-reliable Gabriel made an out-of-the-ordinary gaffe from the punishment spot.

Neither PSG nor Arsenal had their champion punishment takers connected the transportation by astir 8pm UK clip connected May 30, but Gabriel had bravely volunteered to transportation the value of millions of reddish and achromatic hearts connected his shoulders.

A antheral who had ne'er taken a regularisation punishment successful his full career, the centre-back's chaotic effort sailed into the PSG partition down Matvey Safonov's goal, ensuring that Arsenal cannot telephone themselves champions of Europe conscionable yet.

Arsenal caller signings 2025-26

Arsenal confirmed transfers in: Summer 2025

Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m from Chelsea)

Martin Zubimendi (£55.8m from Real Sociedad)

Christian Norgaard (£10m from Brentford)

Noni Madueke (£48.5m from Chelsea)

Cristhian Mosquera (£13.1m from Valencia)

Viktor Gyokeres (£55.5m from Sporting Lisbon)

Eberechi Eze (£60m from Crystal Palace)

Piero Hincapie (loan from Bayer Leverkusen)

Arsenal confirmed transfers in: January 2026

Evan Mooney (RW | Undisclosed from St Mirren)

Mikel Arteta verdict: 2025-26 season

Ever since the 2021-22 season, determination has been immoderate signifier of home oregon continental progression for Arteta to outcry about, and Arsenal's 2025-26 run was nary different.

After aggregate near-misses successful the 3 years prior, the 44-year-old was nether much unit than ever to triumph 1 of the large ones, arsenic whispers were increasing among fans of a imaginable managerial alteration should helium neglect successful that task again.

However, Arteta leaned into Arsenal's standout prime - a European-leading defence - and portion galore Gunners matches were excruciating watches for the Emirates faithful, the antheral delivered the results successful the signifier of a Premier League trophy.

The Spaniard got it incorrect successful the EFL Cup last and had nary excuse for an FA Cup daze astatine Southampton, but determination is nary antheral better-suited to transportation connected taking Arsenal forward.

Arsenal 2025-26 play rating

Never earlier person Arsenal been truthful adjacent to winning the league and European Cup successful a azygous season; an statement for the 2025-26 run to beryllium called the Gunners' top ever each things considered.

Destroying the Premier League 'bottle jobs' statement is simply a 10/10 accomplishment successful itself, but not adjacent the 2003-04 Invincibles would beryllium awarded a cleanable standing for their top-flight season; the 12 draws continues to beryllium brought up successful GOAT squad debates.

Arsenal lone won 25% of the trophies they competed for successful 2025-26, and they mislaid the Champions League last successful the astir heartbreaking circumstances imaginable.

But erstwhile Gunners look backmost connected their sixth afloat play nether Arteta - with Premier League winners' medals astir their necks - the 38-game positives acold outweigh the knockout negatives.

Arsenal play rating: 8.5/10