Ultimately, it was an array of key injuries that prevented Arsenal from putting up a stiffer title challenge last season.
Mikel Arteta lost Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel to significant hamstring injuries, as well as his captain, Martin Ødegaard, to an ankle injury that kept him out of action for two months in the autumn.
Their domestic campaign was seemingly doomed from the outset, with Arteta lacking the requisite alternatives to keep pace with a Liverpool team that never had its momentum sapped.
To prevent a repeat of 2024–25 in another critical year of Arteta’s north London project, Arsenal embarked on an aggressive summer window that saw Andrea Berta upgrade personnel and plug key holes. The Gunners now look strong across the board and are determined to end a 21-year wait for a Premier League title, but improved depth is already being put to the test by relentless injuries.
The parasite isn’t only wiping out Arsenal’s cornerstones, but it’s trying to take away Arteta’s alternatives, too. Noni Madueke was signed to offer Bukayo Saka respite and has enjoyed a bright start to his Gunners career, but he’s the latest who will endure a spell on the sidelines.
