Now or Never: Why Arsenal Have to Win the League This Season
Image Credit: Ronnie Macdonald via Wikimedia Commons
Two decades on from ‘The Invincibles’, every Arsenal fan knows the rhythm by heart - the rise, the charge, the heartbreak. We've lived it too many times. Each season, belief floods North London, and each year, Arsenal fall just short of glory. But this time, there’s no more excuses. There’s no reason left for the Gunners not to win the Premier League.
After years of rebuilding under Mikel Arteta, and a transformative summer window giving Arsenal the depth and balance they once lacked, the pieces are finally set in place. The question is no longer if Arsenal can win the League, but what happens if they don’t.
Arteta’s leadership has progressed from idealism to pragmatism. His early teams sought perfection through possession; now, they play with controlled intensity. Arsenal are no longer undone by physicality or set-piece chaos: they thrive on it. Their 11 goals from set-pieces has drawn both criticism and admiration, but the truth is clear: these are the moments that decide titles. Comparisons to Tony Pulis’ Stoke City underline a shift years in the making. Arsenal have learned how to win ugly when it matters most.
The summer transfer window was another turning point. After years of cautious recruitment, Arsenal finally spent boldly: Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke. This trio has revitalised the front line, whilst Zubimendi’s control in midfield and Mosquera’s defensive assurance has strengthened the team’s core.
As Bukayo Saka put it, “The players that have come in have shown that we can all keep the level at the highest, and that’s what it’s going to take for us to go all the way.” In the past, Arsenal faltered when the starting ten thinned; this time, they have strong replacements who can maintain intensity and momentum.
Opta’s Supercomputer currently gives Arsenal a 68% chance of winning the Premier League, well ahead of Manchester City’s 12%. City’s dependency on Erling Haaland, and Liverpool’s inconsistency under Arne Slot, has left the title race unusually open. Arsenal's form, built on consistency and tactical discipline, has made them the most stable contender.
This stability must survive an arduous stretch - juggling a Champions League run with a November and April fixture list will test both fitness and mentality. If Arsenal cannot bring it home this season, serious questions will be asked. After years of investment and trust in Mikel Arteta’s project, failure to deliver silverware would be difficult to justify. He’s built one of the strongest and most balanced squads in Europe, but all that progress has to result in something tangible. Another near miss could raise doubts on the manager’s capability to go forward another season: why should Arsenal keep a manager that can’t provide silverware when other clubs sack managers even when they do?
It feels like now or never for Arsenal. They have the squad, the manager, and right now, no team in the league feels more complete.