19 Aug 2026 11:30:39
Can I just ask a serious question?
Why is everyone so sure Arsenal will win the league?
I kind of get it, but let’s look at the facts:
1. They won the league with 85pts in a season when City only got 78pts and Liverpool only 60pts. It was literally gifted to them.
2. They got to a CL final by playing Leverkusen, Sporting and Atletico Madrid in the knockout rounds. That’s the easiest run in CL history to get to a final. We were rubbish last season, but I’d have backed us to get to the final playing those teams in the knockouts. Especially with the second legs at home and they only scraped through by the odd goal against Sporting and Atletico.
That’s pretty average if you ask me.
I think the love in with Arsenal is ridiculous. I understand they are PL champions and they got to a CL final, but when you look beyond that, were they really that impressive to warrant the adoration they are getting? Some are saying they are the biggest club in the world FFS!
I think we have every chance of finishing above them, particularly if refs are going to stop their nonsense at set pieces. People need to look at reality and this Arsenal team are not that great.
{Ed025's Note - i dont think its an adoration of Arsenal RSO, its just that they are well ahead of the other clubs mate and have a very solid squad, the rest have flaws and would need a lot of luck if they are to get anywhere near them imo..
19 Aug 2026 12:21:25
You'll find out as the season goes by why they are far ahead of others. They are not shy of spending money. They have one of the best defense in Europe. And usually defense wins you the title.
19 Aug 2026 12:22:03
Not adoration, just practical and logical thoughts, mate. It's more to do with how stable and consistent their squad is in comparison to every other 'bigger' club that would normally challenge. They have an excellent defence and solid base to build from, plus some quality up top to make the difference in tight games.
Compare that with the rest of the league, and it makes sense they would be favourite. They aren't great, but they likely won't need to be to win the league.
19 Aug 2026 12:29:35
Because their squad is stacked in all departments.
They should be able to repeat last year's points today, which, even if not impressive, looks beyond the other rivals at the moment, given the managerial changes and squad gaps.
They are not a great team, but, with all the rivals in transition, they have to be clear favourites.
{Ed025's Note - absolutely FPF..
19 Aug 2026 12:41:31
Being Champions puts a target on your back, which is why it's so hard to retain a title. Liverpool and Arsenal have never retained a Premier League title. Chelsea have only ever retained once. Leicester and Blackburn completely disintegrated. Man City had never retained the title before Pep Guardiola.
Man City under Pep, Man Utd under Fergie, and Chelsea under Mourinho are the only 3 teams to retain the title in the Prem era. They all did so by having a world class manager and by spending copious amounts of money.
Arsenal do not have a world class manager, and Bruno G and Tzolis are not elite level signings in my opinion.
I'm not saying Arsenal won't win the league. They've got the best defence in the league despite their average attack and over rated midfield. World class defences do win you titles after all. What I'm saying is I don't think it's a guarantee and that they'll run away with it. Beating a Rodri-less Man City side (with a terrible manager to boot) in a glorified Friendly, is not a good barometer.
19 Aug 2026 12:18:27
I'm with Ed025 here. They won it in spite of Arteta imo, not because of him and the squad is better than everyone elses.
Any team looking close to them are currently in transition so it is more Arsenal by default in what may be a one horse race.
{Ed025's Note - im with you Taurus..
19 Aug 2026 12:43:12
Solid team, been building for years with the same manager.
They have collective experience of adversity and have got through that to win.
They are mentally, physically, chemistry-wise, in the right place to complete again.
The only significant departure I can see is Trossard.
Meanwhile they've retained Hincapie, then added Guimaraes and Tsolis.
They have built nicely over the years, and after winning it all, they've continued to take a steady approach to re-tooling the squad.
They will be the standard again.
19 Aug 2026 12:44:34
They have 2 decent players for every position. They just improved their first 11 signing Bruno G. Havertz is fit and better than Gyokores. Tzolis looks lively. They are v physical and v good at set pieces in a league where those two things are now v important and they now know how to win the league and get over the line.
19 Aug 2026 12:59:19
They have the best form in the form book.
19 Aug 2026 13:03:19
Not only do they have a very good squad, but they are the only 'settled' team from the 'big six'.
If Pep had stayed at City, I would have fancied them for the league, but everything is in Arsenal's favour this season. If anyone can mess it up, though, it is Arsenal.
19 Aug 2026 13:03:37
A lot might genuinely depend on how much the claimed rules changes are actually enforced, I'm not saying that they are the only or possibly even the major reason that Arsenal won the league, but might they have shipped 7 points if their corner routines were stripped apart as against the rules?
19 Aug 2026 13:10:59
The transition at so many rivals happening at the same time is unprecedented. Arsenal will see this season as a great opportunity to snaffle some more prizes.
New coaches at Liverpool, City, Newcastle and Chelsea. Relatively new coaches at Spurs and Man Utd.
Chelsea, having an advantage of no Europe, could see them overperform in the league.
Villa could be a dark horse. They have made some good signings, albeit losing Rodgers and Onana to injury.
19 Aug 2026 13:13:29
They'll still bottle it and go all defensive when they come to Anfield no matter how well they're doing.
19 Aug 2026 13:14:24
They also now have a team that are winners, meaning they know how to and what it takes to get it over the line. Previously that's where bottle job came from. Last season had a wobble and almost caught almost lost it. Didn't. Mentality will be as strong as their squad depth. Konza incoming and no doubt another forward.
19 Aug 2026 12:22:39
Honest question if I may, Ed025. The year we won the League with Slot, did we have a better squad than Arsenal, since quality of squad seems to be your main criteria? My opinion is that we didn't have a better squad than Arsenal. We won because we simply played better over 38 games.
{Ed025's Note - every team was poor that season ArAy and you were the best of a very bad bunch, thats why it will go down in history as the worst premiership ever mate, a lot of teams were in transition and Arsenal shot themselves in the foot by not buying a striker and City lost Silva and had KDB out which really effected their strength, United and Chelsea were a bit of a mess as well i would say, but strange things happen in football mate..
19 Aug 2026 12:30:35
So what you're saying Ed25 is you think Arsenal will win the league because everyone else is so bad rather than them being so good?
I just can't see us being that bad again this season and I think 85pts isn't beyond us. The squad had 3 months off before last season and struggled for fitness all season. We were also bedding in a lot of new players who turned up at varying levels of fitness. We had a season ending injury to our new CB and our RBs were injured pretty much all season. Ali had a load of time on the sidelines too.
It was a huge mistake from Slot to allow the team the rest of the season off after we won the league and that was exacerbated by the tragedy that the players came back to. We will not be that bad again.
{Ed025's Note - to be honest RSO you were pretty crap last season even after a winning start and spending £sqillions on over inflated players, your recruitment up to now has been very underwhelming so what makes you think this sows ear will turn into a silk purse mate?, i think the new manager will improve things but you cant polish a turd and rolling it in glitter only hides the obvious im afraid..
19 Aug 2026 13:18:52
Arsenal are favourites because nothing has changed from last season. They have a settled squad and a good squad. It's definitely not full of stars and Arteta is a Spoofer. Other teams have better players, Liverpool, City, Chelsea, even United have better individual players.
However, Arsenal have lots and lots of very good ones. For any of the other teams to win they need a lot of luck. No major injuries, new players to hit the ground running, and managers to get all calls right (like Slot's 1st season).
Arsenal can lose decent players and have other decent players to step in.
Now I can also see Arsenal losing a few games from not getting away with the tactics they used last season. Whether it be refs pulling them up on set pieces or a team finding them out by not giving away set pieces. If that happens, Arteta doesn't have the ability to change things up and will crack. What team has the ability to take advantage though, I can't see atm.
19 Aug 2026 13:20:59
Arsenal have a settled squad, the best defence by a long way, and good options for all positions. They play a simple way which other teams have not found a decent solution for and most important of all, frankly no competition from the rest of the league. It will likely take us a season to compete for the PL and Maresca is possibly the worst top six manager.
Alonso will do well but not enough to challenge and Carrick will struggle to repeat what he did last season.
That isn't a 'love in', as you put it, it's as Rafa would say, Facts.
19 Aug 2026 13:33:17
Ed025, I don't think we've recruited badly in the last 12 months, I think Slot made it look like we had with his shocking coaching and tactics.
I think Slot made a sows ear out of a silk purse, and all were asking Iraola to do is undo that damage ??♂️
{Ed025's Note - thats the plan MK and who,s to say it wont work, it wont be easy though but i imagine a lot will depend on last minute recruitment mate..
19 Aug 2026 13:40:06
When you go through the results Arsenal had, it's not that impressive, they were just less s*** overall than the rest.
19 Aug 2026 14:49:08
The fact that a crap city caught them up overtook them then blew it themselves is enough to give everyone hope.
19 Aug 2026 14:59:22
So if our defence becomes rock solid and less like a chocolate teapot of last year, we should win the league then. ?
19 Aug 2026 15:48:52
All Arsenal have to be is one point better than the nearest come next May, and in doing so they won't give one flying fish if they accumulate 78 points or 98 points in order to win it come then.