Arsenal’s defender Gabriel Magalhães has expressed confidence that this season will be different for the Gunners, admitting they’ve “let a couple of titles slip through our fingers” in recent years. Now, he believes the team has grown from those setbacks and is ready to finally go all the way.
Mikel Arteta has reshaped Arsenal over the past six years, bringing identity, belief, and progress to the club. But while his impact is undeniable, the Gunners are still searching for major silverware, with their last triumph coming in the 2020 FA Cup – his very first season in charge.
The Gunners have come agonizingly close in recent seasons, finishing second in the Premier League three years in a row. Last season, their trophy hopes were dashed once again, falling short in the semi-finals of both the Champions League and Carabao Cup – losing to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle, respectively.
As Arsenal kicks off their pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong, BBC Sport takes a closer look at the key changes the club needs to make in their quest to finally end a five-year wait for silverware.
Injuries took a toll on Arsenal’s attacking rhythm last season, with key players like Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Gabriel Martinelli all spending extended time on the sidelines – a setback that disrupted the team’s momentum in crucial moments.
Striker Gabriel Jesus was sidelined for much of the campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. With other key attackers also unavailable, midfielder Mikel Merino was forced to step up as a makeshift center-forward – highlighting Arsenal’s struggles with depth in the final third.
Mikel Merino impressed in his unexpected role, netting seven goals in 28 Premier League appearances and scoring a crucial goal in the Champions League win over Real Madrid. But while his contribution was valuable, Mikel Arteta will be hoping to avoid relying on makeshift solutions this season by keeping his key forwards fit and firing.
It wasn’t all negative for the Gunners, though – the injury setbacks opened the door for academy talents Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to break into the first team, showcasing the strength of Arsenal’s youth development and offering a glimpse of a bright future.
Since then, Myles Lewis-Skelly has gone from strength to strength – making his debut for the England national team and committing his future to Arsenal by signing a new long-term contract.
Ethan Nwaneri is also on the verge of following suit, having delivered an impressive campaign with nine goals in 37 appearances – and now edging closer to signing a new long-term deal with the club.
“I don’t think we can give excuses,” Gabriel, 27, told BBC Sport. “We did everything we could in the last three years. I feel like we had a little bit of bad luck sometimes, but we all believe that we can win big titles.”
“We’re focused on what our manager is telling us to do, and what we have to do, and what we have to improve. I think this year will be different.”