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Thread: Arsenal Season predictions 2025-2026

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    Arsenal Season predictions 2025-2026

    I think it’s three weeks until our first league game of the season, therefore it’s time to bring this out


    Premier League: 2nd (behind Man City)
    Champions League: Runners up
    FA Cup: 4th Round
    League Cup: don’t care
    Mind the gap?: Yep but surely they’ll do better than the last few years
    Arsenal top scorer: Havertz
    Most assists: Rice or Odegaard
    Most cock-ups: Zubimendi
    Breakthrough player: Max Dowman (when he’s actually able to play)


    Looking at my predictions for last season I was pretty accurate in where we finished (2nd), where we got to in Champions League (semis) and how far we’d get in the Fa cup.

    I do have big reservations for this season (no bigger than last season). I don’t think we’ve done enough so far to improve our XG in the league (which was something like 74 overall), we need a creative midfielder so that we aren’t relying on Rice and Odegaard to break mid and low blocks, as much as I like Martinelli he’s a player for transition play so we need a stronger left winger as well who can win the ball deep.
    And although Partey was an albatross around our neck, I fear that both Norgaard and Zubimendi could be vulnerable to pace leaving our back four exposed.
    Gyokeres? Well I just have to hope that he’s the first premier league striker from the Portuguese league to not be a flop only fit for mid table teams.
    I think Liverpool have improved up front but that wasn’t the problem for them, I think defensively they are going to struggle. City seem like the most complete package, I think the return of Rodri simply cannot be overestimated and although they will miss De Bruyne he hadn't been the same player. It’s not so much what we have done or failed to do in the transfer market, City are still the best team in the league with Rodri fit and if that remains the case no one is going to be able to touch them.

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    Administrator McNamara That Ghost...'s Avatar
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    Premier League: 1st
    Champions League: QF
    FA Cup: 5th Round
    League Cup: Winners
    Mind the gap?: Tottenham start as relegation candidates in my mind so massively so
    Arsenal top scorer: Gyokeres.
    Most assists: Saka
    Most cock-ups: Calafiori
    Breakthrough player: Dowman is the obvious choice here.

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    Administrator McNamara That Ghost...'s Avatar
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    I think Gyokeres will get 10 league goals by mid-October tbh

    If Arsenal don't win it, it will be Liverpool. Man City defensively are still appalling and the players they've brought in are not as good as what they used to have.
    Last edited by McNamara That Ghost...; Today at 09:29 AM. Reason: I'll say Mid-October as I forgot about the international break

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    I think City were missing the defensive protection Rodri gave them. I think the Ballon d’or was merited, I do genuinely think he’s the best player in the world currently. I don’t think the players they’ve recruited are great but it just bolsters their squad.
    I think it’s impossible to predict how many goals Gyokeres will get. Im
    minded to say he may not get ten goals in the league all season (which I’ve no doubt people will think is a ridiculous prediction) but because he’s been playing in such an inferior league and having to make that adaption at 27 will be hard. But I’ll be the first to put my hands up if I’m wrong. I certainly think whoever we bought would be crowded out for space without more creative presence in the team.

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    Administrator McNamara That Ghost...'s Avatar
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    My feeling with Gyokeres is he'll come out absolutely blasting goals but then teams will be a bit more reserved so they'll probably taper off for a bit.

    Teams will need to be more aggressive in their own attacking so spaces will open so he'll start putting him in again.

    I think 10 goals all season in the league is very, very conservative. But still an improvement on what we had last season.

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    Quote Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost... View Post
    My feeling with Gyokeres is he'll come out absolutely blasting goals but then teams will be a bit more reserved so they'll probably taper off for a bit.

    Teams will need to be more aggressive in their own attacking so spaces will open so he'll start putting him in again.

    I think 10 goals all season in the league is very, very conservative. But still an improvement on what we had last season.
    Yes I almost forgot about that. Crikey

    I like goals being shared around but that was ridiculous.

    I think in 2023/2024 (or the half of the season where we won 16 out of 18) we were able in many ways to use set pieces to open the scoring and I think a lot of sides are used to that. Gyokeres got a lot of his goals last season from turning very immobile centre halves who are holding a very high line…he’s not going to be able to do that in the premier league.
    I know that it’s blasphemy on here to say it, but Rice at no8 doesn’t work when we are playing defensive and stubborn teams, I’d be minded to play him at 6 in those games and then if we sign an Eze play him alongside Odegaard or Nwaneri (after his disgraceful season last season, pressure really is on Odegaard to up his level)

    Arteta will of course insist on playing Zubimendi and Rice in every game because he’s a stubborn fool and that is another reason why I don’t think we will win the title

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    Member Mac76's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost... View Post
    My feeling with Gyokeres is he'll come out absolutely blasting goals but then teams will be a bit more reserved so they'll probably taper off for a bit.
    I think it will be the opposite - given we've some pretty tricky fixtures to start with, I think he'll need to find his feet, get the hang of the PL and learn our game - then after a few games I think he'll start to kick on

    It will be interesting to see if he starts vs Man Ure - i suspect Arteta's inclination would be to start with Havertz and bring Big Vic on at around 65-70 mins but there will be such a clamour for him to start it will be a controversial decision - that said it's an away game so maybe he'll get away with it

    He does at least have two friendlies at the Emirates so will get some game time then
    Last edited by Mac76; Today at 11:05 AM.

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    Premier League: 3rd (behind Citeh and Liverpool)
    Champions League: Finalists, whether or not we win on the day is too random to call
    FA Cup: 6th round
    League Cup: 6th round
    Mind the gap?: Now we've got Vic then yes, but I'm afraid Spuds will be exponentially better under Frank
    Arsenal top scorer: Big Vic
    Most assists: Saka
    Most cock-ups: Arteta
    Breakthrough player: I'd love to see Josh Nicholls get more game time - he looked very good in pre-season last year and we really pought to have used him at RB sometimes instead of Partey - apparently he's doing well in pre-season again - he's older than Dowman so should be given opportunities

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