Arsenal
Four tactical shifts that shaped Arsenal’s flawless Premier League opening
Arsenal’s home return showed how the champions have changed in mood, structure and attacking depth.
Arsenal’s first Premier League home game after lifting the title carried echoes of the old tension, but the feeling around the club has clearly changed. Ninety-five days after their previous competitive outing at the Emirates, the champions returned against Coventry City and the telling moments suggested a team and support that have moved on in important ways.
The final home match of last season, against Burnley, had been played in an atmosphere of strain. With the title race still tight, every passage of play felt loaded, every set piece drew fresh noise, and Mikel Arteta was visibly caught up in the urgency of the occasion. Once the breakthrough came, the mood shifted from fury to anxious clock-watching.
This time, the environment was different. The celebration around the title had eased the pressure, and Arteta admitted as much when he said, “It was a joy,”. He has worked hard to improve the mood around the stadium, but the simplest explanation may be the most accurate: winning the league changed everything.
On the field, Christos Tzolis made an immediate impression. His first Premier League start for Arsenal came after a winding career path that included Norwich City, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium before this summer’s move from Club Brugge. The $45.7 million recruit showed why Arsenal trusted him, contributing to two goals. He helped win the ball for Riccardo Calafiori’s cross that set up Kai Havertz, then delivered the low pass that led to Bukayo Saka’s finish.
Arsenal’s attack remains heavily tilted to the right, with Saka at the centre of most forward movement. But the return of strong connections on that side, especially between Martin Ødegaard, Saka and White, gives the team another layer. Their third goal underlined that balance, with Ødegaard, Saka and White combining before Ødegaard finished after White’s run.
The final detail of the night came from the old set-piece strength, updated for new 2026-27 rules. Howard Webb had promised “fewer warnings, more actions penalized” for holding at dead balls, so Nicolas Jover responded with a different idea: play it short.
Arsenal
Five Premier League talking points as Gameweek 6 begins
Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Spurs, City and Liverpool face a pivotal Premier League weekend.
After an international break that was longer than most, the Premier League resumes with a slate of fixtures that should quickly restore the league to centre stage. Gameweek 6 brings heavyweight meetings, difficult home tests and plenty of pressure on sides already searching for rhythm.
Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion before the break ended a remarkable run and raised the question of how they would react. Five months had passed since their previous league loss, but the 3-0 reverse on the south coast was a severe setback. Leeds United now arrive at the Emirates Stadium unbeaten and sitting fifth, only three points behind the Gunners, while history still strongly favours Arsenal, who have won their last eight meetings with Leeds in all competitions.
Chelsea also need a response after being beaten 3-0 by Brentford. That result was their third consecutive league match without a win and the third time they have conceded three goals in a game this season. Bournemouth’s visit offers little comfort, especially with Chelsea waiting on late checks for João Pedro, Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Reece James. Marco Rose’s side may be winless, but they have taken points from Chelsea in four of the last six meetings.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur meet under clear pressure. United have managed only five points from a manageable run, with defeats to Hull City and 10-man Manchester City damaging the mood. Tottenham, meanwhile, sit bottom after two goalless draws and three defeats, and Roberto De Zerbi’s side arrive with their costly new arrivals yet to settle. The stakes are obvious for both clubs.
The weekend’s headline fixture comes at Liverpool, where Manchester City play for the first time since being found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. After a three-year investigation, the verdict has inevitably shifted attention onto Enzo Maresca and his players, even if they had no part in the issue. City have won all five league games under Maresca, but this is a different test entirely.
Liverpool have every reason to make the occasion felt. They have twice been runners-up to City title teams since 2009 and remain one of the most persistent challengers of the last decade. With the atmosphere set to be intense, this could become one of the defining matches of the round.
Arsenal
Arsenal face selection reshuffle as injuries shape Leeds United return
Arsenal expect several changes for Leeds United, with Arteta managing injuries across defence and attack.
Mikel Arteta has had the international break to reflect on Arsenal’s heavy defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, but the pause has not simplified his plans for the Premier League return. Leeds United visit Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and the champions are expected to make several changes because of fitness concerns across the squad.
The most significant absentee remains William Saliba, who is out for the long term with a back problem. Arsenal also lost Ben White to a groin issue during the win at Sunderland, though the right back is now expected to return after being seen in training images last week. Declan Rice, meanwhile, has been managed carefully after a demanding summer and recurring hamstring discomfort, and he should also be available for Leeds.
There is better news in defence through Cristhian Mosquera, who has recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered in August and could come back into the side. If Ezri Konsa is not ready after his dead leg, Mosquera may be the natural option to line up alongside Gabriel. Jurriën Timber is another factor at right back, although his minutes are being monitored after summer groin surgery.
Arsenal’s attack has taken the sharper hit. Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis both picked up hamstring injuries while away with Germany and Greece, and both are expected to miss the next couple of weeks. That leaves Arteta with limited routes through the middle and on the left, where Eberechi Eze has not yet made a major impact. Noni Madueke could also be used there, while Viktor Gyökeres is the likeliest candidate to replace Havertz up front after scoring four in four for Sweden during the break.
Max Dowman is available despite a contact injury and a red card for England’s U-19s, while Bukayo Saka came through the break unscathed. With Rice and White expected back, Arteta can at least restore some structure, but the forward line remains the main concern heading into a difficult fixture.
Arsenal
Arteta’s new Arsenal deal puts him at the top of Premier League manager pay
Arteta’s Arsenal contract until 2030 is reportedly the Premier League’s biggest managerial pay rise.
Arsenal have handed Mikel Arteta a fresh contract through 2030, and reports suggest the new agreement has taken his salary to twice its previous level. That rise is believed to make him the best-paid manager in the Premier League.
Arteta explained what the club means to him after committing his future.
“This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue. We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together.”
According to The Times, he is now thought to earn more than £20 million ($26.4 million) each season across a deal that runs for the next four years. With Pep Guardiola no longer the Premier League’s highest earner, Arteta is understood to occupy a category of his own in the domestic game.
His earnings are also said to place him above some of the biggest names in world football. Only Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone and Paris Saint-Germain’s back-to-back Champions League winner Luis Enrique are mentioned as approaching those levels.
The second-highest paid manager in the Premier League is reported to be on the opposite side of north London. Tottenham Hotspur’s Roberto De Zerbi is said to earn £12 million ($15.9 million) per year, according to ESPN.
De Zerbi arrived at a difficult moment for Spurs last spring, with the club in serious trouble and fighting to avoid relegation. Since then, his influence has extended beyond the dugout, with the transfer window suggesting he has a major say in spending decisions as well as his own financial package.
For Arsenal, though, the message is clear. Arteta has been rewarded not only with security until 2030, but with a salary that now stands above every other manager in the Premier League.
