“Before Sunday’s 2-1 victory against Newcastle United, Arsenal’s recent form at St James’ Park was three defeats and zero goals in three games, so it’s unsurprising that one of Mikel Arteta’s messages to his team was to ‘learn from the past’. And taking lessons was obvious in Arsenal’s performance, even after Nick Woltemade had put Newcastle ahead. Yes, they took learnings from previous trips to the north east, but they also adapted during Sunday’s game. …”
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The half-time corner tweak that powered Arsenal’s win at Newcastle
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“Stodgy matches between Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City come as absolutely no surprise now. We’ve already witnessed a contest in which all eight defenders on the pitch were recognised centre-backs, another game when Arsenal got a player sent off and hardly got out of their own half after half-time, and a game when it barely looked like either side were even attempting to score until Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time effort took a big deflection and looped in. No one is tuning into this fixture and expecting a classic. …”
“… This was the round when 
“There will be no 11th outfielder in the Manchester City goal against Arsenal on Sunday. After eight years, Pep Guardiola replaced the silky Ederson with Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose footwork is more paso doble than quickstep. It looks unlikely that there will be a right-back who can move into midfield and connect play. The no-nonsense flying machine of a centre-back, Abdukodir Khusanov, will be shuffled across instead. There will be no hint of a false nine either, only the truest number nine in the form of Erling Haaland. …”
“Less than four months after Paris Saint-Germain lifted their inaugural Champions League title by thrashing Inter, the 2025-26 edition is upon us. The 36-team league phase of Europe’s premier club competition kicks off on Tuesday, with Arsenal facing Bilbao’s Athletic Club in one of the two early kick-offs. There are plenty of other highlights this week too, with Bayern Munich facing Chelsea in a 
“This summer, the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs signed more players from the rest of the Premier League than in any of the previous 15 seasons. 
“As the final whistle went at Old Trafford after Arsenal kicked off their Premier League campaign with a victory over Manchester United, Josh Kroenke left his seat in the directors’ box and headed for the dressing room. Having made the trip from the United States, Josh was in Manchester to watch Arsenal’s first match of the season, something he does annually, and stayed on to watch their 5-0 win against Leeds United the following weekend at the Emirates Stadium. But after congratulating the players and manager Mikel Arteta at Old Trafford — it is not unusual for Josh to venture into the dressing room following a game — attention soon turned to planning and strategy meetings. …”
“The transfer window is over. Over 150 senior players have been signed by Premier League clubs. Others have moved on to the continent. Much like every year, a club’s transfer window will likely be judged a success or a failure based on the season that follows — that big-money striker who fires his new side into the Champions League or the huge (and unresolved) hole in defence that means a club slips into a relegation scrap. But with the window having just closed, we asked The Athletic’s club reporters for their view on how it panned out for their side, and what grade they would give the club’s window. …”
“Welcome to the 13th edition of The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet for the summer 2025 transfer window. Our team of dedicated writers, including David Ornstein, will take you inside the market to explain the deals being worked on. The transfer window is open and will run until September 1. The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Unless stated, our reporters have spoken to more than one person briefed on each deal before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment. Their responses, when they were given, have been included. We aim to bring you analysis you can trust about what is happening at Europe’s leading clubs and the latest information we’re hearing from across the market. This year, The Athletic’s football finance writer, Chris Weatherspoon, will be adding to our analysis of the transfer market. …”
“Football quite often shows that it isn’t aware of its own absurdity, and a prime example of that came last week when Enzo Maresca was discussing Levi Colwill’s knee injury. Colwill is likely to miss most of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, which given he started 35 league games in the 2024-25 campaign, is enough to put a wrinkle in anyone’s plans. Maresca’s immediate solution was to suggest that Todd Boehly further loosened the already pretty loose Chelsea purse strings and furnish him with a new signing to plug the gap. …”
“Arsenal began their attempt to go one better in the Premier League title race this season with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford thanks to a ‘new’ set-piece routine. Avram Glazer was in attendance at Old Trafford and saw the team he co-owns line up without fit-again goalkeeper Andre Onana and striker Rasmus Hojlund, who 
“As the new season gets under way, the 20 Premier League managers will be grappling with key selection decisions that could make the difference between a good or bad start to the campaign. So to help them, The Athletic’s dedicated club correspondents and experts have picked their own strongest XI — and justified the reasoning behind it. So without further delay, here they are. …”
“Tactically, the Premier League is in a real state of flux. After four consecutive title-winning years with a distinct, possession and territory-based style, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were reduced to a third-place finish on 71 points in 2024-25 — their worst since Guardiola’s debut campaign of 2016-17. Meanwhile Liverpool cruised to the title in their first season post-Jurgen Klopp, with Arne Slot’s side developing a reputation for their flexibility and adaptability. They had 25 wins and only lost twice across the first 34 matches, by which point the trophy was theirs. Nottingham Forest showed European football can be earned with a throwback, defend-first and counter-attack strategy, while for the second season running all three promoted teams were relegated. So what might we expect from 2025-26? …”
“Will the return of Rodri propel Manchester City back to the top of the table? Is this the year Manchester United finally regain their status as a genuine Premier League power? How will a tragic summer affect Liverpool on the pitch? Can the promoted teams break the pattern of recent seasons and stay up? The 2025-26 season kicks off on Friday and what better way to start the week than by looking ahead to what might be in store over the coming months. We asked all of our writers to submit their predicted Premier League table — you can see that a little further down this article. …”
“It’s now been over two decades since Arsenal were last crowned Premier League champions. Five FA Cup victories have eased the long wait in the years since, but an elusive 14th league title remains the priority in north London, with a third consecutive second-place finish under Mikel Arteta last season only fuelling their determination to go one better this time around. Arsenal’s recruitment drive this summer speaks to that ambition, having invested close to £200million into the squad, already the second-most lavish window in the club’s history. Martin Zubimendi was the first to arrive, one of Europe’s most coveted deep-lying midfielders, before the arrivals of Noni Madueke and, in particular, Viktor Gyokeres, began to hint at a change of approach at the top of the team — both bringing more direct dribbling and raw power to the front line. …”
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“… The map shows the average attendance of the 20 clubs that comprise the 2025–26 Premier League. The main map [of England & Wales] shows the locations of 13 of the clubs; the Inset-map shows the locations of the 7 clubs that are based in Greater London. The larger the club’s average attendance from last season [2024-25], the larger their circle-and-badge are on the map(s). Each club’s home venue-name, and regional location, are also shown. Clubs are grouped by region (that is, by City or County). The location of Everton’s former home (Goodison Park) is shown, as well as the club’s new home on the docks of the River Mersey (
“There may be two months to go until the 2025-26 Premier League season gets underway, but the release of the fixture list has whetted the appetite of fans across the division. Consisting of 38 rounds of matches over nine months, with each team playing their 19 rivals once at home and once away, the opening few games are often decisive in building momentum to set the tone for the campaign, or derailing it through diminishing confidence. These early matches alone will not define a season but they play a significant role in shaping its course, and naturally attract the attention on fixture-release day. …”
“It’s that time of year again. Liverpool have finally lifted the Premier League trophy after securing the title last month, but the main prize is not the only thing being handed out. Mohamed Salah hoovered up the individual awards, with 29 goals securing the Golden Boot and 18 assists grabbing the Playmaker award for the second time in a Liverpool shirt. Golden glove? That goalkeeping accolade was shared between Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels and David Raya of Arsenal, with 13 clean sheets apiece. …”
“Manchester City’s dominance finally came to an end, Liverpool were able to celebrate the title in front of their fans for the first time in 35 years, two of the ‘Big Six’ finished in the bottom six and the promoted clubs all went straight back down.Those might be the raw headlines from 2024-25 but this Premier League season offered so much more — this was the campaign, don’t forget, when a player got booked for imitating a seagull. Seb Stafford-Bloor, Tim Spiers, Nick Miller, Oliver Kay and Stuart James reflect on the highs and the lows as another year of English top-flight football reaches its conclusion. …”
“In football, we obsess over which team is going to win every competition, where every side will finish in the league and the future transfer destinations of top players. What we talk about far less is where managers will end up, other than in the unemployment queue — which, obviously, is only a metaphorical image because in reality they’re all multi-millionaires and set for life financially. Which club will Marco Silva call home after he leaves Fulham? Ever wondered where Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner will work next? Nope, us neither. But maybe it’s time we started. …”
“Arsenal face a trip to the French capital next week with a one-goal deficit after losing at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Just like the tie against Real Madrid in the quarter-final, the Emirates crowd created a raucous atmosphere before kick-off for their side’s first Champions League semi-final in 16 years. But Ousmane Dembele put PSG in front after four minutes to quieten the home support with his 25th goal in 2025. …”
“Time can make fools of us all. Even supercomputers. Barring some sensational results in the quarter-final second legs this week, there are probably only five teams left who can win this season’s 
“Declan Rice stunned Real Madrid with two brilliant free-kick goals to help 
“With the Premier League title race and relegation battle seemingly wrapped up before April, you might think there is little peril remaining in the final weeks of 2024-25. Fear not. Any thrill-seekers need only look as far as the race for Champions League spots, with as many as seven teams still fighting to dine at Europe’s top table next season. Liverpool, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest have separated themselves from the remaining pack at the top of the table but based on the latest UEFA coefficient standings, fifth is enough for a place in the 2025-26 Champions League. One more win for any of the five English sides remaining in a European competition this season should confirm that additional spot in the continent’s top tournament. …”
“Arsenal’s return to the top table of English football has been a long time coming. Two decades have passed since they last won the Premier League title — few who watched their famed ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003-04 would have predicted that would be the last of Arsene Wenger’s league successes. Yet football, and perhaps English football more than anywhere else, has changed dramatically since those days of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. Financially, Arsenal have had to deal with the seemingly bottomless wealth of first Chelsea and then Manchester City, two rivals whose various periods of domestic dominance were at least in some part built on the back of Arsenal’s hard work, given they raided Wenger for many of his best players. …”
“Fifteen of the 16 clubs left in the 
“Manchester United’s wait for back-to-back Premier League wins this season goes on after Declan Rice’s fine second-half strike earned Arsenal a point at a raucous Old Trafford. This game lacked the quality that was once associated with this fixture, with Bruno Fernandes’ goal shortly before half-time — a precise free kick from 25 yards — the outstanding moment in a poor first half. Arsenal improved after the break and levelled with Rice’s powerful long-range effort, their first goal in 257 minutes of Premier League action. And despite that shortage of quality, the closing stages had plenty of drama as both sides pushed for a win, Fernandes coming closest in the dying seconds. …”
“Premier League clubs will already be planning who they want to bring in this summer when the transfer market reopens, but making sure they hold on to key players is also a major part of successful squad building. As 
“If Liverpool’s loosely-defined ‘luck’ in the Premier League is a real thing then consider the not-so-compelling narrative in the 
“Last season, the
“You could argue that Emile Smith Rowe’s goal did not stand out in last weekend’s wider collection of finishes. Fulham ran out 2-1 winners against Nottingham Forest, with their opener coming from a well-worked sequence that saw Adama Traore cut inside onto his left foot before delivering a delightful ball for the onrushing Smith Rowe to head home. …”
“The Champions League’s new format may have given every team only two possible opponents in the round-of-16 draw but that has done little to dampen the excitement now that we know the eight ties. 
“Gunnar Nielsen’s 
“In football the concept of a ‘trio’ is generally reserved for a group of three who play in the same department of a team. We talk about an attacking trio, a midfield trio or a defensive trio. But Arsenal’s tactical approach in their comprehensive 5-1 victory over Manchester City was all about a trio down one flank. Left-winger Leandro Trossard, left-centre midfield Declan Rice and left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly combined excellently throughout the game. Arsenal’s passing network from the game tells the story neatly. There’s almost no connection between the equivalent players on the other flank. But Trossard, Rice and Lewis-Skelly played close together, operated in each other’s zones, and spun their way into good positions in behind. …”
“Arsenal dominated the Premier League champions at the Emirates Stadium, beating Manchester City 5-1 to keep pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table. Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead within two minutes through Martin Odegaard before Erling Haaland equalised with a thumping header early in the second half. City were only level for a minute or so, though, before Thomas Partey restored Arsenal’s advantage. From then, the home side were in total control. Impressive 18-year-old full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly and forward Kai Havertz added more goals, before an outstanding curling strike from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, on as a substitute, added further gloss in stoppage time. …”
“.Over halfway through the 2024-25 season, for fans of certain teams outside the traditional ‘Big Six’, the first item is all they need. Specifically, that is, a table of the current 
“Not for the first time this season, 
A mural of Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke on the approach to the Emirates Stadium
“It is 76 days since 
“The quality was not the same, but 
“Welcome to The Briefing, where every Monday during this season The Athletic will discuss three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s 
“English football in 2024 served up a bit of everything: stunning strikes, comical own goals, baffling errors, refereeing controversies, promotions, relegations, trophies lifted, CVs sifted and much more besides. So as 2024 draws to a close, we have decided ignore those opposed to calendar-year stats and unify all 94 teams (yes, Sutton United and Forest Green Rovers, you may no longer be in the 
“This week brings up the midway point of the 2024-25 
“Welcome to The Transfer Radar. Each major tournament, The Athletic has built a scouting guide highlighting the players to watch. This winter, we are launching a new version of The Radar — one focused on transfers across 2025. We began with 25 players we expect to be of transfer interest to major clubs across Europe over the January and summer windows in 2025. As of December 19, we have added three more players we expect to be of interest. This is not to say that they will move, but based on the conversations our reporters have been having, they are players that are being talked about among recruitment departments. While most fans are focusing on the January window, clubs are already having conversations about next summer. …”
“A sharp, anxious intake of breath, followed by a round of applause that carries a mixture of quiet admiration and, more than anything, relief. On other occasions, it ends with supporters shaking their heads and asking why. We are talking about the crowd reaction to — and I’m borrowing this description from a colleague who is a regular at Stamford Bridge — ‘the most dangerous pass in football’. 
“The 
Scissors Kick 