Arsenal
Arteta Reflects on 300th Arsenal Match as Numbers Underline Progress
Arteta reached his 300th game in charge of Arsenal against West Ham, reflecting on progress in 2025
Mikel Arteta said he felt honoured to reach his 300th game in charge of Arsenal when the fixture against West Ham United arrived on Saturday. Six years into his tenure he has overseen a marked overhaul at the club, which the draft describes as now perennial Premier League title challengers and widely hailed as one of the top sides in Europe.
Across his 299 games in charge prior to the milestone, Arteta holds a win percentage of 58 percent. That figure, the draft highlights, exceeds the win ratios of several former club managers, including Arsène Wenger, Herbert Chapman and George Graham.
“I feel very privileged, I’m really enjoying what I do with the people that do it, and we know in our job it’s about winning a lot of football matches if you want to stay in the job,” Arteta reflected.
“The other thing is while we are doing this, make sure as well that we enjoy our profession because it’s got, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful things that you can experience in life, and trying to do both things at the same time.”
He acknowledged the limitations of results so far: “Even with that winning rate, we haven’t won major trophies, so that shows the level.
“That’s why you have to do what has been done before, but the level is not enough, it has to be much more. It is much more difficult, but that’s what we’ll try to focus on doing.”
The comparative table included in the original draft lists the managers and their records as follows: Mikel Arteta 299* games, 58%; Arsène Wenger 1,235 games, 57%; Unai Emery 78 games, 55%; Thomas Mitchell 45 games, 51%; Harry Bradshaw 235 games, 50%; Herbert Chapman 411 games, 49%; George Graham 460 games, 48%. The draft notes the figures are “*Accurate as of Oct. 4, 2025, 3:00 p.m.”
Arsenal
The Ten Summer Signings Who Have Mattered Most Early in 2025/26
After a record £3.19 billion summer, these ten signings have reshaped Premier League starts. so far.
Premier League clubs combined to spend a record £3.19 billion during the 2025 summer window, and a number of arrivals have already influenced the opening months of the 2025/26 season.
Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony arrived from Bournemouth for £8 million and has become a central outlet in Scott Parker’s attack. The former Arsenal academy player has started both as part of a front two and out wide, and his four league goals currently lead Burnley’s scoring chart.
On Tyneside, the German forward has settled quickly. With Yoane Wissa nursing a knee injury, Woltemade has started up front and brought an immediate return of three league goals in four games, one of which included an extraordinary penalty. His unusual frame and aerial improvement have been noted by supporters.
West Ham’s recruitment has offered hope under Nuno Espírito Santo. El Hadji Malick Diouf, signed from Slavia Prague, has impressed as a one-on-one defender who delivers a dangerous cross from the left. He remains an up-and-down full back with clear potential.
Tijjani Reijnders produced an outstanding Premier League debut at Molineux and has since provided moments of quality, including the assist for Erling Haaland against Arsenal in September.
Martín Zubimendi was an early target for Mikel Arteta and has gradually displayed his class in the holding role. After a slow debut, he has shown his passing range and even contributed a memorable goal against Nottingham Forest.
Hugo Ekitiké has been arguably the most convincing of Liverpool’s summer recruits. The former Eintracht Frankfurt forward scored on his opening games against Bournemouth and Newcastle and has shown a willingness to drop in and combine, even if his league scoring has slowed in recent fixtures.
João Palhinha’s loan at Tottenham has been a robust addition. Thomas Frank leans on him heavily and the Portuguese midfielder leads Spurs with just over five combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes.
Sunderland’s Robin Roefs arrived from NEC Nijmegen, took the No.1 spot in preseason and has been a reliable shot-stopper. Only Dean Henderson has prevented more goals, and Roefs ranks fourth for success when attempting to claim the high ball.
Finally, Jack Grealish’s loan to Everton has begun well. He is joint-top of the assist charts and produced a last-gasp finish to end Crystal Palace’s 18-game unbeaten run before the international break.
Arsenal
Gyökeres Criticised After Quiet Display in Sweden’s 2–0 Loss to Switzerland
Viktor Gyökeres drew sharp criticism after a subdued 2-0 defeat by Switzerland and went without a shot.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres came in for heavy criticism after Sweden’s 2–0 defeat to Switzerland on Friday night. He started alongside Liverpool striker Alexander Isak, but neither forward managed to break down a compact Swiss defence.
Gyökeres was particularly ineffectual in attack, registering no shots on target and an expected goals total of just 0.08. Domestic outlets were blunt in their assessments after the final whistle.
Expressen were particularly critical and awarded him a 1/5 rating. They wrote: “Thundered away from deep—from minute one,” they wrote. “Viktor Gyökeres looked lively. Then he got tired. And heavy. The number of errors increased with it. And overall, it can only be said that Gyökeres was one of the absolute weakest players on the field.” Fotbollskanalen also expressed disappointment: “Sweden needed Gyökeres at the top of his game in the important World Cup qualifying match. But he didn’t get it in crucial situations.” Svenska Fans handed another 1/5 and added: “His form has been waning lately. I don’t really know what’s happened, but he doesn’t seem to really believe it right now. It feels so resigned and awkward.”
The reaction will sharpen focus on Gyökeres’s form with Arsenal. He has made a solid start to his Arsenal career, but has hardly terrorised Premier League defences. He has scored just three for the Gunners to date, those efforts coming in routine home wins over Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.
Friday’s display will raise questions about confidence and consistency at international level, and supporters will expect a response from Gyökeres as the season progresses. For now, the coverage in Sweden suggests he must recover his best form to answer critics and provide the cutting edge his national team required in the World Cup qualifying match.
Arsenal
Zubimendi: Arsenal’s Dressing Room Blamed Injuries for Title Shortcomings
Zubimendi: Arsenal blamed injuries for past title failures; summer signings aimed to add more depth.
Martín Zubimendi has set out the dressing room view on why Arsenal fell short in recent title races: injuries. The midfielder, who joined from Real Sociedad this summer, said team-mates made clear that the squad repeatedly unravelled when key players were sidelined.
Adding depth across the squad was a stated summer priority and Arsenal recruited heavily. Zubimendi arrived from Real Sociedad alongside Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapié, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga. The signings were intended to ensure the club could cope when injuries occurred.
“From what teammates have said to me, the problem was the injuries, that when someone got injured, the team came undone,” Zubimendi told The Guardian. “This year the club has invested a lot in having two players in every position.”
Zubimendi’s move to the Premier League came later than many expected. His arrival this summer followed a season in which he was a standout performer for Sociedad in 2024, and it came 12 months later than most anticipated. He had been close to joining Arne Slot’s Liverpool before withdrawing from talks, and Real Madrid also expressed interest, but it was Arsenal who ultimately secured his signature.
His decision was influenced by the timing of any proposal and by Arsenal’s project. “When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at la Real,” he continued. “And it wasn’t the right moment [to go]. I stayed and it was a hard season but I learned a lot. I wanted to step forward, take that weight after others went.
“I had watched Arsenal and I liked everything I saw, in terms of passion, youth, the feeling you got watching them. And when Mikel Arteta called me… Well, if you’ve ever spoken to him you’ll know that he can be very convincing.
“He’s mad about football, crazy about having everything under control, trying to get something from every little detail. He’s very clear on everything and the proposal he had was the best for me.”
The messages from Zubimendi underline why Arsenal prioritised squad depth in the transfer window and why the club believes redundancy across positions will be key in the 2025/26 campaign.
