14 August 2026

Arsenal will go into the 2026/27 season looking to become one of the few clubs to win consecutive Premier League titles.

Only Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have managed that previously, underlining how difficult it usually is to hold on to the crown.

With that in mind, here is a look at the 2026/27 Premier League campaign from Arsenal’s point of view and an assessment of whether they can pull it off.

IN: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United, £75m), Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen, £34.5m), Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge, £34m), Reiss Nelson (Brentford, end of loan), Illan Meslier (Leeds United, free), Elijah Upson (Tottenham Hotspur, free).

OUT: Jakub Kiwior (Porto, £19m), Leandro Trossard (Besiktas, £15.3m), Christian Norgaard (Everton, £7m), Karl Hein (Werder Bremen, £2.6m), Josh Nichols (released), Alexei Rojas-Fedorushchenko (released), Samuel Onyekachukwu (released), Will Lannin-Sweet (released), Cam’ron Ismail (released), Seb Ferdinand (released), Harrison Dudziak (released), Sam Chapman (released).

(Information correct on August 14).

Arsenal were worthy winners in ending their 22-year wait for the Premier League title last season, although their success was aided to a significant extent by their main challengers failing to hit their usual standards.

Serial champions Manchester City did not have the authority they had displayed in earlier seasons, while Liverpool produced a truly laughable attempt at defending the trophy.

Manchester United improved after Michael Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim as manager, but they were never truly in the mix for the title.

Chelsea briefly appeared capable of pushing themselves into the race before falling away badly, while Tottenham Hotspur came close to relegation.

Each of those five clubs has changed manager since the turn of the year, leaving plenty of uncertainty among the traditional heavyweights.

By comparison, the Gunners have continuity with Mikel Arteta in charge. The task now is to push on from the platform he has built over the past few years.

Arsenal have spent heavily this summer to bring in Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United. He should ease some of the burden on Declan Rice in midfield.

Christos Tzolis looks like a smart signing from Club Brugge, but the Gunners still need to do more business before the transfer window shuts.

Arsenal are in urgent need of defensive cover for William Saliba. He has been ruled out for several months after worsening a back injury at the World Cup.

The Gunners’ 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup last weekend exposed their defensive weaknesses in the absence of the Frenchman.

There are also worries around Jurrien Timber, who remains some distance away from a return to competitive football because of a long-standing groin problem.

Arsenal have seen a bid rejected for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, but they are expected to return with an improved offer. His versatility could help the Gunners cope with some difficult early fixtures.

The Gunners are also attempting to balance the books, with Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson all available for transfer this summer.

If Arsenal can complete some effective business before the transfer window closes, they would deserve to be favourites to keep the title.

However, history suggests that defending the trophy is usually far easier said than done, and the Gunners may ultimately come up short this season.

With all of their rivals having significantly strengthened their squads this summer, Arsenal will face an extremely tough task to win back-to-back titles.

Read more: Premier League 2026/27 season preview.