Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be quietly thrilled by his side’s start to 2025/2026, and particularly their response after the defeat at Liverpool.
Arsenal enjoy impressive unbeaten streak in chase for Premier League title
Since losing on Merseyside, the Gunners have enjoyed a nine-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, boasting the most imperious defence in England and a 100 per cent win rate in the Champions League so far.
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid were Arsenal’s latest victims as Arteta’s side put the Spaniards to the sword in a 4-0 demolition job, with summer signing Viktor Gyokeres bagging a brace and putting an end to his barren run without a goal.
Arsenal showcased their imperious attacking flair inside 14 exciting second-half minutes against Diego Simeone’s side, and Paul Merson was simply blown away by how the north Londoners swept Atlético aside in that manner.
After spending close to £270 million in the summer transfer window, Arsenal are in pole position to win their first Premier League title in over 20 years, but it is still very early doors.
So far, Andrea Berta’s major investments are paying dividends, but supporters have two key things to thank for their side’s exceptional form on paper right now.
Arsenal’s solidarity at the back and major threat from set pieces have been vital, with Gabriel and William Saliba showing exactly why they’re two of the best centre-halfs in world football.
The former has already tallied four goal contributions as a direct result of dead-ball situations, including a header and an assist against Atlético on Tuesday, with teams failing to find an answer to Arsenal’s gorilla tactics.
They’ve also proved menacing from long-throws, a fact which isn’t lost on Sky Sports pundit Jamie O’Hara.
Jamie O'Hara says teams are now trying to copy key Arsenal tactic
Speaking to Sky, O’Hara says that Premier League rivals are trying and failing to replicate Arsenal’s long-throws, but makes a rather bold claim that Arteta’s side are “killing” the division with their style of play.
“I can’t stand it, I hate it. It’s killing the game, especially the Premier League, the product,” O’Hara said when asked about the rise of long throw-ins.
“It’s like watching non-league at the moment, some of the football I’m watching.
“Jamie Carragher is right, I get it, some of the lesser teams like Brentford, if you’ve got a long throw then it can cause problems and maybe create a chance. But the top teams doing throw-ins? I can’t believe what I’m watching.
“It’s all down to Arsenal, Arsenal started this. Arsenal started the long throw, the set-pieces. They’ve killed the Premier League in terms of fluid football and enjoyable football.”
O’Hara goes on to say that Arsenal are the best at long throws, and no other team can even dare to mimic how effective they are.
“Arsenal are the best at it, set-pieces and throw-ins, Arsenal are the best,” O’Hara continued.
‘But everyone is now copying what they’re doing and they can’t do it like that.
“I’m seeing teams do long throw-ins and they haven’t even got a long throw! It’s not even reaching the six-yard box. But everyone is trying to do it and it’s so one-dimensional.”
When looking back at the 2025/2026 season in years to come, if Arsenal do end up winning their first title in decades, supporters are far more likely to remember this year as a defining moment in both the club’s history and Arteta’s career.
How they manage to clinch the trophy is entirely up to them, and there is absolutely no argument that Arsenal’s use of dead balls is giving opposition teams absolute nightmares right now.
The pressure is well and truly on Arteta to deliver major silverware after a summer of lavish spending, and the Spaniard must use every weapon at his disposal — no matter how pleasing on the eye.