Football writer Ben Bloom looks at whether Arsenal now have the squad depth they have lacked in recent seasons to deal with injuries and push for the Premier League title.
The presentation of Eberechi Eze, a debut for 15-year-old Max Dowman and a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Leeds United that put their side top of the Premier League table – nothing should have been able to tarnish Arsenal supporters’ joy as they departed Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.
But there was an unshakable sense of deja vu.
Come the end of last season, many within and outside the club pointed to injuries as a decisive factor in Arsenal’s inability to upgrade a third consecutive second-placed finish when they again had to settle for being a bridesmaid to Liverpool in 2024/25.
Notable among them were issues suffered at the attacking end of the pitch, where Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all missed key portions of the campaign.
Alas, just two weeks into the current season, Saka and Odegaard (below) both got injured again against Leeds and had to go off, while Havertz is sidelined with a knee problem and Jesus remains out until next month at the earliest.
But, ahead of a massive trip to title rivals Liverpool next weekend, things feel different this time thanks to a positive summer of transfer dealings.
So, will Arsenal’s newfound squad depth provide an alternative outcome?
An injury-ravaged campaign
That Arsenal managed to maintain second last season was notable given the absences they were forced to endure.
Mikel Merino starting up front for seven matches in the Premier League and five in the UEFA Champions League told a story.
Hamstring problems ruled Saka and Havertz out for more than three months, while Odegaard missed seven league matches in the earlier part of the season with an ankle injury.
Jesus did not play after undergoing surgery on a torn cruciate ligament in January, while Martinelli missed most of February with a hamstring issue.
All too often, Mikel Arteta was forced to field players out of position – Merino a prime example – or rely on understudies who were incapable of replicating the levels required to challenge for the title.
“Any other club in this position will finish in a position you cannot even dream of, so please say thank you to the players, say thank you to the staff,” Arteta told supporters at Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s final match of 2024/25.
“We need to recognise what we’ve done. I’ve seen other teams with one or two injuries finish fifth, eighth, 16th, 17th.”
According to Premier Injuries, Arsenal suffered 36 different injuries last season, losing a total of 1,297 days to them. That ranked them behind only Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town for days lost.
Arteta’s best squad yet
It has been a busy summer of Arsenal transfer dealings, with the club backing Arteta to the tune of a reported £250million in new signings as they bid to win silverware.
Considerable sums have been spent on Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Eze. Which is just as well.
Odegaard was in visible pain when he had to come off before half-time against Leeds, and it has been reported that he left Emirates Stadium in a sling.
However, subsequent reports suggest scans have shown his problem is not long term.
Saka lasted just eight minutes into the second half before departing with a hamstring injury that reports suggest is expected to rule him out for four weeks.
Havertz, meanwhile, could be out for some time with a knee issue, and Jesus is yet to be seen this season.
Arteta has been bullish about this season’s squad, suggesting it is his most complete group since becoming Arsenal manager six years ago.
“In terms of numbers and quality, yes for sure,” he said, when asked ahead of the Leeds match.
“We have a really good balance of players, the versatility, the understanding of roles of those players, the mixture between experience and youth, the ambition, I am very happy with what we have.”
He added: “With the squad we had last year we made life very, very difficult for ourselves because if you look at the size and depth of other squads and the resources they had, we wanted that at least and more. I think we are in a very good place.”
The pool of attacking talent at his disposal certainly looks considerably deeper, with Dowman also adding to the ranks and two or sometimes three options for every position.
Even with injuries, rotation and Eze not yet available, Martinelli was not needed on Saturday.