EPL: Can Arsenal Go All the Way This Season? | OneFootball

Under the leadership of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have transformed into a team capable of challenging for major honours. However, the lingering question remains whether the squad possesses the resilience to see out a strong campaign.

There is no doubting their pedigree, and on any given day, they could take three points from anybody without it being a surprise. Yet potential doesn’t win titles. Results do. The longer Arsenal go without a title to their name, the bigger the monkey on their back becomes. While no single factor explains their title drought, there are certainly consistent issues that need to be addressed.

With the 2025/26 season starting to turn the final corner, the Gunners are currently in a strong position. They now stand six points clear, and within that, they have the best goal difference, the strongest defence, and have scored the second most goals. Most importantly, every team around them is beatable this year. Could this be the year that Arsenal recapture the magic of the Invincibles Era?

Tactical Evolution and Strategic Foundations

Arsenal have improved year on year since Arteta took the helm. While an early FA cup win created an air of expectation, the team was largely inconsistent for his first two years. The club stuck with him, however, and their decisions are paying off. Now considered genuine title contenders, Arsenal have great tactical dexterity, meaning they can control the game in multiple ways.

While Arteta primarily favours a possession-based system rooted in patience and skill, they have recently exhibited the ability to play a more direct game that catches opponents unaware. Adaptability is a crucial component of any title-winning team.

The maturation of William Saliba at the heart of Arsenal’s defence has been another significant part of their transformation. Alongside Gabriel, he has become a defensive anchor and leads the back four with resolute conviction. With the chemistry between the two centre-backs solidified, Arsenal are now far more competent at defending transitions and are generally more aggressive when winning back possession.

At the other end of the pitch, Arsenal boast a creative and varied attack. However, the team lacks a natural goalscorer. Both Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus lead the line, but neither is scoring at the title-winning pace. It has been six years since they had a player score more than 20 goals in a season. This is a far cry from the days of Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie. If there is one weakness in Arsenal’s title aspirations, it lies in the absence of a dominant number 9.

Squad Depth and Rotation Management

To be a title-winning team, a club needs more than just a strong starting eleven. Strength in depth is crucial, especially considering that with a good cup and European run, teams could play over 65 games in a season. Arsenal have strengthened their squad depth in recent seasons, meaning they now boast a deeper player pool. The club can now withstand congested fixtures, injuries, and international duty without sacrificing team quality.

That said, squad depth does not mean every player is suited to every game. Mikel Arteta balances the need for a strong team against their competition and their upcoming games. Knowing when to rest key players and when to power through with your best team is critical.

Effective squad rotation and player expectation management are what separate Premier League champions from the rest of the pack. Arsenal have a good reputation for developing young talent, and the current squad has a good mix of players in their prime and some of the most highly rated youngsters in the EPL. Players such as Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman, and Myles Lewis-Skelly carry a weight of expectation. While they do not play many games, they provide much-needed depth and youthful exuberance when it matters.

Performance Against Direct Rivals

The real test of championship mettle is the ability to deliver dominant performances against direct rivals. Looking at Arsenal’s performance against the Big Six in the last two seasons, they have an impressive W7 D8 L1 record. This validates why they are consistently considered a threat for the Premier League title. This becomes even more important when playing away from home.

Winning the big games is not just about taking points; it’s the mental factor too. It’s about confidence and knowing the team can outplay, outclass, and out-hustle the league’s strongest teams. Those performances carry a great motivational weight.

The challenge is in using that motivation to create momentum and consistency across all games. This then gets the fans believing and excited. When the football played is exciting and winning games becomes the predictable outcome, real momentum begins to build. According to Casinos.com, the place to find trusted slot games available in the UK, Arsenal fans are starting to understand that their team can deliver everything they are looking for.

Home Advantage and Momentum Building

Away form is excellent for building confidence, but there is nothing better in a title-winning season than making your home ground a fortress. For Arsenal to reach their potential, the Emirates Stadium must become a place opponents fear to visit.

No matter how good a side is, they can never afford to become complacent. Any dropped points at home should be seen as a failure. By creating an air of invincibility at their home ground, Arsenal can generally foster an air of menace that travels with them to away games. Opposition teams will remember their challenging Emirates experience and the intimidating atmosphere.

In a league like the EPL, every team is a threat, and building momentum is vital, especially during key moments in the season. England is unique in European football in that teams play more frequently during Christmas than at other times of the year. While other leagues rest, the period between Christmas and New Year in England is often the season-defining period.

During this period, everything comes to a head. The need for strong tactics, managerial knowledge, squad depth, and momentum is at its peak.

Learning from Previous Campaigns

Arsenal have suffered heartache in recent seasons, but each failure has provided a valuable lesson to the coach and players alike. By experiencing the agony of seeing a title slip from their grasp, players learn to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

The final weeks of the Premier League season bring a unique challenge to players. Squads are fatigued, and injuries will likely keep some players out of the team. The pressure of fan and media

expectations increases with every game. Mental toughness is just as important as physical toughness. The home stretch is when every game feels like it counts for double, and the team’s nerves are truly tested.

How Arsenal will respond to that this year will likely decide whether they finally break their curse and take home a long-awaited title, or once more taste defeat and watch a rival lift the trophy.

There is no denying that the Gunners have made the right investments in the right areas. On paper, they tick every box as championship material this year above all others.