Furthermore, the Gunners are back in the Champions League following a six-year absence and with the FA Cup success in 2020 being the last major trophy lifted by the club, there is a huge opportunity to end the drought and spark some wild scenes on the streets of north London next year.
Splashing just over £200m on Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice proves Mikel Arteta, sporting director Edu Gaspar, owner Stan and his son Josh Kroenke all are aligned and a special 2023/24 season could be in store. So with that in mind, our football.london writers have predicted what may happen to Arsenal across the next nine months.
Kaya Kaynak - Chief Arsenal writer
Well, it's hard to go too much further than the Premier League title when it comes to big predictions for Arsenal. Even after all the improvements they've made this summer, and how well they played against Manchester City in the Community Shield, I think I still have to just go for City. I think Pep's side have that know-how that can't be underestimated, and their quality is still very difficult to match.
I do think Arsenal will do pretty well in the Champions League though. If you look across Europe there are not too many sides I think they should be fearful of. Bayern Munich are obviously Bayern Munich and can't be taken lightly, while the same goes for Real Madrid, but Arsenal have shown they can beat Barcelona already this summer, and PSG are a bit of a basket case. With the depth they've added, I really think Mikel Arteta should be looking at a strong run in Europe this year.
It's that depth that makes me think Arsenal will come away from this season with at least one trophy - provided that you don't already count the Community Shield. In Aaron Ramsdale and possibly David Raya they have the best pair of goalies arguably in world football, and their defence, midfield and attack are pretty strong too. Watching how that plays out in the FA and Carabao Cups will be interesting when you consider that players will be fighting for a Premier League spot.In terms of players to keep an eye on I think from the new signings it's got to be Jurrien Timber. I've been so impressed with how the Dutch international has fitted in like a glove in north London since his arrival. Ben White are Oleksandr Zinchenko are both excellent players but they've got a fight on their hands to keep their starting spots.
From the old guard, I think I'm going to go for Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has already shown what an important player he can be to the squad after coming off and making the difference against City last weekend, and I think he can be relied upon to do that throughout the season. With Gabriel Jesus out for a little while, I think he's got a massive role to play in the upcoming campaign.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: Leandro Trossard of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring their sides first goal during The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 06, 2023 in London, England.
Aaron Ramsdale and Leandro Trossard make Arsenal's stance clear by beating Manchester City in the Community Shield in defiant stance.
Josh Holland - US audience writer
A contrasting feeling to the one that we had at the end of last season. Arsenal are amongst many people's favourite to take Manchester City the distance for the Premier League title this season and rightly so.
Football is all about opinions and the easy choice is to back Man City. But the Gunners’ business in the market is yet to be topped by any other club in Europe. There has been no signing made for the sake of it and all three (four, if you include David Raya) have come in as a necessity.
Man City still have the likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in their ranks and the consensus that they’re going to struggle this season is bizarre considering how good they’ve been. I actually think the Premier League will be tougher than the Champions League this season, too.
Winning a trophy has to be the target this season. Last year’s performances in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup were rather disappointing and the experience is now there to juggle numerous competitions. The squad is the best it has been for a long time and I have to admit, I am slowly approaching the camp of believers who say the Premier League will return to north London.
I will, however, admit that I have concerns over the No.9 position. Gabriel Jesus’ injury is a problem and there’s doubts over Havertz and Eddie Nketiah as his replacement. I hope I’m proved wrong. It’s a big season for a number of players. We’ve seen throughout the summer the togetherness between the squad and the harmony produced through Arteta’s ideas. All players have a big role to play in making the 2023/24 season one to remember.
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