Arsenal are preparing to begin their defence of the Premier League trophy and numerous analysts have shared their thoughts on where the north London club will end up in the final standings this term.
The Gunners are entering a top-flight season as reigning champions for the first time in more than two decades. Several experts believe they will be strong contenders to retain their crown.
The north London side ended their 20-year wait for a league title last campaign under Mikel Arteta, finally bringing silverware back to the club. Additionally, they reached the finals of both the Carabao Cup and Champions League, losing narrowly in both competitions.
With new additions including Bruno Guimaraes arriving from Tyneside, Christos Tzolis joining from Belgium, and Piero Hincapie signing permanently from the German side Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal appear well-equipped for their opening league fixture against Coventry City.
Their quality was evident as they defeated fellow championship contenders Manchester City comfortably 3-0 in the Community Shield, prompting football.london to examine how various commentators expect the season to unfold. The consensus proves remarkably clear.
Arsenal are set to defend their Premier League crown (Image: Getty)
Alan Smith – 1st
Smith indicated to Metro that he expected Arsenal to secure the title once more, expressing hope that this prediction would prove accurate. He anticipated Manchester City finishing runners-up and suggested Manchester United would improve upon their third-place finish from the previous campaign.
Martin Keown – 1st
Following the Community Shield encounter, Keown stated on talkSPORT that the two clubs represented the finest teams in English football. He noted the exciting season ahead while emphasising that Arsenal possessed greater stability.
Keown believes the Gunners hold a significant advantage in the title race (Image: talkSPORT)
Paul Merson – 1st
In his Sky Sports column, Merson commented that he struggled to identify any team capable of preventing Arsenal’s success. He predicted they would claim the championship with considerable ease and perceived no weaknesses in their Premier League credentials.
Wayne Rooney – 1st
Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, Rooney suggested Arsenal possessed the capability to dominate English football’s top tier substantially. He anticipated considerable movement in the positions behind them and foresaw Manchester United ending the campaign in fourth place.
Rooney believes Arsenal could establish supremacy over English football (Image: Stick to United)
Steve Bruce – 1st
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bruce maintained that Arsenal remained the team to defeat and had strengthened their squad further with the acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes to complement Declan Rice. He indicated further signings could be imminent and remained convinced they would retain their position as the side to beat, noting their comfortable margin of victory last season.
Peter Crouch – 1st
Crouch observed on That Peter Crouch Podcast that it would be intriguing to monitor their progress but expressed doubt about Liverpool’s championship prospects. His top-four forecast placed Arsenal at the summit, followed by City, Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.
Jamie Carragher – 2nd
On the Football Ramble podcast, Carragher expressed his view that only Arsenal or City could realistically claim the title. He ultimately backed City, reasoning that they had remained competitive the previous year and that he admired new manager Maresca’s tactical approach.
Carragher favours City this term (Image: Football Ramble)
Joe Cole – 2nd
Speaking to Paddy Power, Cole acknowledged Arsenal’s status as favourites to retain their trophy but suggested Manchester City would improve upon their previous campaign. He predicted City would triumph under Enzo Maresca, noting that City had finished the last season strongly and that the managerial transition from Pep Guardiola to Maresca had been handled smoothly. Cole pointed to Maresca’s familiarity with the club, his relationship with his predecessor and his previous work at Chelsea, dismissing the Community Shield result as an isolated setback and backing City to overhaul Arsenal in the title race.
Jamie O’Hara – 1st
O’Hara outlined his full top-six forecast on talkSPORT, placing Arsenal at the summit, followed by City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham respectively.
O’Hara has outlined his top-six prediction (Image: talkSPORT)
Joleon Lescott – 1st
Speaking to The Mirror, Lescott acknowledged the premature nature of such forecasts but identified Arsenal as the standout choice. He noted that from a strategic standpoint, fewer obstacles appeared to block their path. With Arteta maintaining squad continuity and the group now possessing genuine confidence, he selected Arsenal.
Michael Owen – 1st
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Owen suggested Arsenal merely needed to maintain their current trajectory to secure the championship again. He expressed difficulty envisioning any rival accumulating the 85 points required to dethrone them, noting that Arsenal had essentially guaranteed such a points tally.