Despite a huge improvement for Arsenal last season, in performances and table position, the campaign ended with a sense of disappointment. Having led the Premier League for much of the season, they ended it five points behind champions Manchester City.
Meanwhile, their progress in cup competitions was also largely disappointing with early exits in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup while they were knocked out on penalties in the last 16 of the Europa League.
So where does this leave their ambitions for next season? They’ll certainly be looking to build on the momentum they produced with their league form even if they will more than likely be facing stronger opposition to be City’s main rivals for the title.
In the last three seasons, Arsenal have improved their league position from 8th to 5th to 2nd and their transfer activity so far this summer has shown real intent to take that progress to its ultimate conclusion with a first Premier League title since 2004.
Kai Havertz became the first signing of the summer, moving from Chelsea as a possible replacement for Granit Xhaka and West Ham’s Declan Rice looks likely to join him in midfield with a £105m transfer on the verge of completion. Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is also due to join to bolster Mikel Arteta’s defensive options.
This would certainly fix a particular weakness that affected Arsenal’s title charge, which started to fall apart due to the injury of Frenchman William Saliba. With more strength in defence, plus the influence of Rice and Havertz in the midfield, Arsenal would be well placed to avoid a repeat of that run of costly draws and defeats that handed the title to City.
For Arsenal, this will be their first season back in the Champions League since the 2016-17 season, which brings another challenge for them to face as well as trying to go one further in the league. The expectation will be to get beyond the last 16 at least, but this Arsenal squad has little experience at this level with only Rob Holding in the squad from their last appearance there.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are likely to want to progress further in the domestic competitions after disappointing exits last season, but these will again be a lower priority for Arteta. Getting back into the top four was a huge boost, enabling the club to invest in the likes of Rice, so avoiding falling back in the league while trying to keep up with all-conquering City has to be a focus.
However, even though Arsenal and their supporters will want to chase the Premier League title again, it is possible that they may need to be patient. Few expected them to stage a sustained title challenge last season and continuing to challenge at the highest levels in 2023-24 would be a sign that this club is finally back where it belongs after years in the wilderness.
The danger is that having done so well ahead of most people’s expectations, they may struggle to live up to what is expected of them this season, which could cause them problems if they get off to a slow start.
