The 2024/25 season has concluded, and once again, Arsenal finish without silverware. The North London club has gone four straight seasons without a major trophy (assuming the Community Shield isn’t counted).
Their failure to lift a cup this past season wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Mikel Arteta’s squad made it to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League. They also secured a second-place finish in the Premier League.
Our article examines the contributing factors behind Arsenal’s latest titleless campaign. We also highlight possible transfer moves and decisions that could help them end their drought in the upcoming season.
Contributing Factors Behind Arsenal’s Latest Titleless Campaign
There were numerous factors behind Arsenal’s inability to secure a trophy win last season. In this section, we consider four reasons for that outcome.
Injuries
Arteta’s side suffered several significant injuries last season and ended the season at the top of the EPL Injury Table. In most cases, the injuries affected two or more players in the same position. Out of a squad of 23 players, at least 15 were unavailable for selection.
Takehiro Tomiyasu was sidelined the longest, with an injury layoff of 435 days and counting. The Japanese defender has been unavailable for 63 games and remains out as of this writing.
Close behind is Gabriel Jesus, who sustained an ACL injury in January 2025. The Brazilian forward is still recovering and is expected to return around November this year, after missing 41 games last season. Other notable absences include:
- Ben White: 117 days and 27 games
- Riccardo Calafiori: 157 days and 27 games
- Kai Havertz: 119 days and 23 games
- Bukayo Saka: 122 days and 23 games
- Kieran Tierney: 160 days and 24 games
- Martin Odegaard: 62 days and 15 games
- Gabriel Magalhães: 123 days and 17 games
- Mikel Merino: 51 days and 12 games
It is worth noting that many of these injuries occurred during pivotal stages of the campaign. Moreover, they involved key players in Mikel Arteta’s system. At times, their replacements also sustained injuries, limiting available options within the squad.
As a result, Arsenal had to compete with a reduced level of quality last season. Despite their injury challenges, the Gunners performed admirably, finishing second in the league and reaching the Champions League semi-finals for only the third time in their history.
Although they trailed Liverpool by 10 points in the title race, both teams recorded the same number of league defeats. With fewer injury setbacks, Arsenal might have narrowed the gap even further. It is also worth noting that no Arsenal player reached double figures for goals in the league last season, largely due to prolonged absences.
Squad Depth & Attacking Recruitment
Yes, Arsenal suffered major injuries last season. However, the clubs’ transfer decisions, especially in attack, also affected their inability to secure silverware during the previous campaign.
Manager Mikel Arteta struggled to influence games at decisive moments during the season, largely due to limited options on the bench. This situation contributed to an increase in draws in 2025, with the Gunners often unable to secure victories or overturn deficits. They recorded 14 draws in the league and suffered defeats in four semi-final matches across the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
Their inability to change the course of these games can be linked to poor decisions made during the 2024 summer transfer window. For better context, let’s review Arsenal’s summer business.
Outgoings
Concerning sales, the Gunners were excellent, selling and loaning the following players:
- Aaron Ramsdale
- Emile Smith Rowe
- Eddie Nketiah
- Riess Nelson
- Fabio Viera
- Sambi Lokonga
Incomings
As a way to bolster the squad, the Gunners recruited:
- Goalkeeper Neto
- Riccardo Calafiori
- Mikel Merino
- Raheem Sterling.
There was talk about signing Benjamin Sesko and Nico Williams, but ultimately, neither transfer materialized. Looking at Arsenal’s sales, one might be tempted to downplay the significance of the outgoings. However, with those players on their roster, Arsenal could rotate their squad and change some game outcomes.
In the 23/24 League campaign, the Gunners scored 91 goals. However, last season, they could only record 68 goals. Due to a lack of proper attacking recruitments, the squad took a step back regarding overall depth and balance. This might have been less of an issue with a fully fit squad, but the injuries laid bare the gaps in the team. Simply put, everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
Many Arsenal fans expected reinforcements in the January window. Instead, the club made the puzzling decision to deploy central midfielder Merino in an advanced role. Although the Spaniard improved his performances noticeably, it was still evident that he was not a natural forward. Like we previously stated, none of Arsenal’s players scored 10 goals in the league last season. For a team chasing titles, that is a very bad record despite their injury problems. This situation gave a clear indication that Arsenal made poor decisions concerning transfers last season. Without a doubt, the Gunners had a disappointing transfer window last year.
There has been a lot of talk of getting in attacking signings ahead of the next league campaign. However, at the time of writing, Arsenal have yet to sign an attacker. Should they sign, we expect to see two or more new attackers joining the club this summer.
Discipline
The discipline issue can be a sensitive topic for many Gunners, given the nature of some of the officiating last season. The Gunners received six red and 67 yellow cards during the previous Premier League campaign.
In two of those games (Brighton home, Manchester City Away), the Gunners were ahead before the red card. Based on the state of play, they were also ascending and likely to grab maximum points. However, they drew both matches and lost vital points early in the title race.
Away at Bournemouth, the Gunners might have secured a draw. Still, an early red card for William Saliba left them playing with ten men for extended periods, ultimately defeating them. It was another significant setback early in the title race.
Whether one agrees with the referee’s decisions in such situations is separate. Yet, the fact remains that Arsenal must address their poor disciplinary record to win titles next season. Can they achieve this? I remain skeptical, but the team must approach games with greater discipline. Defeats should be rare, and winning positions must be defended with utmost focus.
Conclusion
It has been four years since Mikel Arteta last lifted a major trophy. The Spaniard will face immense pressure to deliver silverware in the upcoming campaign after coming close in both the Carabao Cup and Champions League this season.
Arsenal needs reinforcements across several positions, particularly in attack. The Gunners have already made moves in the transfer market, securing the signings of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi. Christian Nørgaard also appears set to join, with additional arrivals expected.
What could these changes mean for Arsenal? In our next guide, we will examine the key areas the club must strengthen to challenge for titles next season.
Wilson took his first steps into the iGaming industry in 2019 and is now a Co-founder at soccerorator.com. He started by crafting online casino reviews for affiliate sites targeting North American audiences. Since then, he has created iGaming content that has appeared on several blogs. Wilson’s interests extend beyond iGaming. He has ventured into other sectors, writing articles on cryptocurrency, technology, and sports. Notably, he has developed a strong fascination with the sports industry, particularly football (soccer), which now accounts for a significant portion of his content creation. Wilson’s true talent lies in making complex concepts understandable. He combines his deep knowledge of the Sports and iGaming industries with a knack for clear explanations. This winning combination results in informative and accessible content.
