It has been a summer of change for Arsenal and with Viktor Gyokeres the latest to walk through the door, we are taking a look at how they could lineup come the new season.
Arsenal begin what they hope will be their first title-winning season since 2003-04 away at Manchester United on August 17th.
Here’s how we think the Gunners might start at Old Trafford, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation.
GK: David Raya
Arsenal may have signed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea this summer, but Raya’s position in goal is never going to be in question.
The Spaniard, along with Matz Sels, kept the most clean sheets in the league last season and would be a good bet to do so again this time around.
RB: Jurrien Timber
Having arrived in 2023, Timber nailed down the right back spot last year after an injury-hit first season.
The Dutchman started 27 of Arsenal’s 38 games in a season, but could possibly do more from an attacking sense with just 17 chances created.
CB: Gabriel
Arsenal’s tactic of firing corners to Gabriel’s head may have eventually been worked out, but not before the Brazilian helped himself to three goals.
Away from his attacking output, the defender combined with Saliba to form a solid back line and Arsenal conceded just 0.9 goals per match, the best ratio in the league.
CB: William Saliba
Even with Real Madrid sniffing around, it is hard to see a world where Mikel Arteta leaves Saliba out of his first starting XI of the new season.
While it may be Gabriel that gets the goals, Saliba looks the more accomplished defender and he was in the top 6% for tackles and top 5% for recoveries last season.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly
Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakthrough year in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, but now is the tougher test of proving you can do it for a full season.
At the moment, he looks stronger going forward but needs to improve defensively. He averages just 0.92 tackles per league game, putting him in the bottom 20% in that regard.
He also needs to watch his discipline, picking up three yellows and two reds in 15 games last year.
CDM: Martin Zubimendi
Zubimendi is an upgrade on Thomas Partey in every metric and the fact that Arsenal pursued him for so long shows how pivotal Arteta believes him to be to any future success.
Stats-wise, he was amongst the best in La Liga for defensive output and Arsenal defenders will appreciate having the Spaniard ahead of them to stop attacks before they properly begin.
CM: Declan Rice
The signing of Zubimendi looks set to benefit Rice, who will be free to roam forward in the No.8 role.
Rice was Arsenal’s best and most consistent performer last season and at 26, is only going to get better.
A great mix of defence and attack makes him a midfielder any manager would want in his team.
Cm: Martin Odegaard
Club captain Odegaard’s place in the team remains assured, but his tendency to go missing in big games has not gone unnoticed among the Arsenal fans.
As is expected, he is one of the best passers in the league, but the Norwegian scored just three times in the league last year.
RW: The book will
The undroppable Saka is once again expected to be Arsenal’s main attacking outlet this season and may well be the one who benefits most from Gyokeres’ arrival.
He created 58 chances in the league, but only 10 of those were converted as Arsenal’s lack of a clinical finisher hurt the team.
With a more conventional No.9 occupying the centre backs, Saka may also have more room to operate in.
LW: Noni Maduake
If there was a questionable area of Arsenal’s front three, it comes at the left wing spot.
Gabriel Martinelli started 25 games there last season, but a return of just 12 goal contributions is not enough for the best of the best.
The Brazilian may well be first choice once again, but considering they forked out £48.5million on Madueke, Arteta may well want to see how he performs on his unfavoured left side.
ST: Viktor is a rooter
Arsenal have been crying out for a striker for several years, but they have finally landed one of Europe’s best in Gyokeres.
The Swede outperformed his xG last season, but the big question is whether that finishing ability can translate to the Premier League. If it does, Arsenal will be one of the best attacking outfits in the league.
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