Journalist explains what Arsenal needs to achieve success this season

Journalist Ian Ladyman has previewed the 2025/2026 Premier League season and discussed what Arsenal will need to secure success. The Gunners are regarded as one of the leading contenders for the Premier League title this term, having come close to winning it in each of the last three campaigns.

In those seasons, Arsenal finished second in the standings on consecutive occasions, and there is now an expectation for them to take the final step and claim the trophy. A consistent observation over the past two years has been that the Gunners have lacked the goals required to turn strong league performances into silverware. Addressing that shortfall has been seen as vital to their ambitions.

The Importance of Goalscoring

Mikel Arteta’s side has worked tirelessly to resolve this issue, and Arsenal now have a striker capable of delivering the needed firepower. The signing of Viktor Gyokeres is viewed as a pivotal move, with the Swedish forward arriving after an impressive spell at Sporting Club. If Gyokeres can replicate his prolific scoring record from Portugal, Arsenal could be a dominant force in the title race.

Ladyman believes that the striker’s contribution will be essential to the Gunners’ prospects. Writing in the Daily Mail, he noted, “Encouragement for last year’s second placed team is that they were so far from their best in 2024-25 that they must feel they can improve. Arteta needs key players to stay fit, some consistency and, of course, goals from his new centre forward, Gyokeres, signed from Sporting Lisbon for an initial down payment of £55m.

“If Arsenal can bring that to the table then we will have a race.”