Arsenal's Premier League Title Defence: Three Questions That Could Define Their Season
The Gunners are defending their crown for the first time in 22 years...
After ending a 22 year wait for the Premier League title, Arsenal enter the new campaign in unfamiliar territory. For years, Mikel Arteta’s side were the challengers, chasing Manchester City and falling just short. Now they are the team everyone else is trying to catch.
Winning a title is one thing. Defending it presents a completely different challenge. Arsenal have shown they possess the quality, resilience and tactical discipline to reach the summit, but history shows retaining the Premier League crown is one of the hardest achievements in football.
As preparations continue for the new season, three key questions could determine whether Arsenal can remain champions.
Can they finally add the ruthless forward they need?
As title winners, Arsenal are building from a position of strength rather than trying to fix fundamental weaknesses. Defensively they were immense under Mikel Arteta, providing the foundation for their success. At the other end of the pitch, though, there is still room for improvement.
Bukayo Saka remains one of the Premier League’s elite attackers and clearly possesses all the quality required, but he has struggled to stay fit across an entire campaign. Arsenal also need more consistent support around him.
Viktor Gyokeres frustrated at times during his first season, but still managed an impressive 21 league goals. Those numbers suggest the Swedish striker is capable of delivering, although Arsenal may need to improve the quality and consistency of the service he receives.
The biggest question arguably comes down the left flank. Leandro Trossard is now 31, while Gabriel Martinelli has never quite developed into the player many expected after his early breakthrough. Arsenal still need greater output and reliability from that position.
Morgan Rogers appears to be the club’s leading target to address that issue. Other names, including Rafael Leao and Bradley Barcola, have been mentioned, although moves for either player currently appear unlikely.
The Gunners are also closing in on the signing of highly rated 16-year-old Jeremy Monga, but that is clearly an investment for the future rather than someone expected to contribute immediately.
Gabriel Jesus is expected to leave, which could yet create room for another striker, although there have been few concrete links at this stage. As things stand, Arsenal look set to begin the campaign with Gyokeres and Kai Havertz competing for the central role.
Rather than making wholesale attacking changes, the priority may simply be providing Gyokeres with a more consistent supply line. If Arsenal can improve the creativity around him, they may already have the goalscorer needed to lead another title challenge.
Can Arsenal keep their stars fit for another title defence?
Winning the Premier League despite one of the division’s worst injury records underlined Arsenal’s resilience, but Mikel Arteta knows he cannot rely on overcoming those setbacks every season.
Only five Premier League clubs suffered more injuries than Arsenal last season, with the Gunners losing a staggering 232 player games through injury across the campaign. That constant disruption forced Arteta to regularly reshuffle his side, with key figures including Martin Odegaard, Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz all spending spells on the sidelines.
Arteta admitted during the season that Arsenal had entered a “dangerous circle”, with injuries forcing him to overplay available stars, increasing the likelihood of further setbacks. Reports also suggested the club enlisted an external physiotherapy specialist to help identify why so many players were suffering physical breakdowns.
The solution is unlikely to come solely from changes behind the scenes in the medical department.
Greater squad depth would allow Arteta to rotate players such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Ødegaard more effectively during busy periods. Fresh legs across the squad would reduce the physical burden on Arsenal’s key performers and lower the risk of another lengthy injury list.
That is why another productive transfer window feels so important. Arsenal do not need to rebuild their squad, but they do need enough quality in reserve to maintain standards when key players require rest.
If the champions can combine their existing quality with improved player availability, they could be an even stronger proposition this season than they were during their title winning campaign.
Can Arsenal avoid a title hangover?
After years of being the hunters, Arsenal are now the hunted. The biggest challenge may not be lifting the trophy again, but dealing with the expectations that come with being champions.
So far, there is little reason to doubt their mentality. This squad has repeatedly shown it can handle pressure and bounce back from disappointment. Winning the title suggests they have developed the psychological resilience required at the highest level.
History, however, shows just how difficult title defences can be.
The last club other than Manchester City to successfully defend the Premier League title was Manchester United in 2009, when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side secured their third consecutive championship.
Since then, clubs including Chelsea, Leicester City and Liverpool have all failed to retain their crowns. In several cases, the drop off has been dramatic. Liverpool, for example, won the title in 2025 before only just securing Champions League qualification the following season despite spending around £450 million during the summer transfer window.
The difference with Arsenal is that they do not appear set for a major overhaul.
Piero Hincapie has joined permanently in a £35 million deal following an impressive loan spell, strengthening an already formidable defence. Beyond that, Arsenal are expected to add two forwards, including the highly rated Jeremy Monga, along with another midfielder.
Names such as Sandro Tonali and Alex Scott have both been linked, suggesting the focus is on adding quality depth rather than making sweeping changes to a title winning squad.
There is also uncertainty surrounding many of Arsenal’s closest rivals.
Manchester City are entering a new era following Pep Guardiola’s departure, with Enzo Maresca taking charge. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have also changed head coaches, with Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso and Michael Carrick all beginning new projects.
New managers inevitably require time to implement their ideas, even at elite clubs. That could hand Arsenal a valuable advantage during the opening months of the season.
It remains early days and plenty can change before the transfer window closes, but Arsenal appear well placed to mount a strong defence of their Premier League crown.
They have the foundations of an outstanding side, an experienced manager and a squad that has already proved it can cope with adversity. If they can strengthen their attack, keep their key players fit and avoid the complacency that has caught out so many champions before them, there is every reason to believe Arsenal can remain the team everyone else is trying to catch.