Arsenal begin their first Premier League title defence in more than two decades with a new challenge ahead: maintaining the standards that finally took them back to the top of English football. After ending a 22-year wait for the league trophy last season, Mikel Arteta’s side are no longer chasing champions but have become the team their rivals must overcome.
The transformation represents a significant shift for Arsenal, who spent three consecutive Premier League campaigns finishing as runners-up before breaking through in the 2025/26 season. Their title was confirmed after Manchester City dropped points against Bournemouth, leaving the Gunners beyond reach before the final day.
Arteta’s team built their success around defensive organisation, tactical consistency and the ability to manage pressure in decisive moments. The Spanish coach, who has overseen Arsenal’s rise since taking charge, now faces a different type of pressure: keeping a winning squad motivated after achieving the objective that had defined the previous stages of the project.
“Winning the title changes the expectations,” is the reality facing Arsenal as they move from being the hunters in the race to becoming the hunted. Opponents will approach matches against the champions with increased focus, while Arsenal must deal with the demands of defending their position at the summit.
The club have responded by strengthening rather than rebuilding. Their most significant addition has been the arrival of midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, a move designed to add further quality and control to a squad already built around a strong tactical identity.
Arsenal have also continued to develop younger players while maintaining the core group that delivered their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season. Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and other key figures remain central to Arteta’s plans as the club attempt to establish long-term success rather than celebrate a single achievement.
The wider Premier League landscape could provide another challenge. Several major rivals enter the campaign with significant changes, including managerial transitions at clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. Arsenal’s stability under Arteta gives them an advantage, but the competition remains intense.
Manchester City, who dominated English football for much of the previous decade, are entering a new period after Pep Guardiola’s era, while Liverpool and Chelsea are attempting to rebuild under new leadership. Those changes create uncertainty but also increase the number of teams capable of challenging for major honours.
For Arsenal, the next stage is about consistency. Their previous seasons were defined by chasing perfection and closing the gap on established champions. Now the expectation is different: they must handle the pressure of being the standard-setters.
Arteta has repeatedly emphasised improvement and maintaining hunger within the squad, and that mentality will be tested across a long Premier League season. Managing injuries, European commitments and the psychological demands of defending a title will determine whether Arsenal can turn their breakthrough success into sustained dominance.
The opening months of the campaign will provide an early indication of whether Arsenal have evolved into a championship-winning side capable of repeating success. For the first time in years, the Gunners begin a Premier League season not as challengers hoping to arrive, but as champions everyone is trying to defeat.
