Arsenal
Arsenal’s recruitment and depth give them an early edge as Liverpool falter
Arsenal’s summer signings have improved depth and cohesion, leaving Liverpool with questions. to go?
On Saturday night, a short walk from the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal supporters gathered along Upper Street, Islington, buoyed by a straightforward win over West Ham United and the sight of Liverpool struggling at Chelsea. That contrast left questions about the side that spent heavily in the summer and was widely deemed to have “won the transfer window”.
Liverpool invested £415 million and recouped £187 million but looked a lesser team against Chelsea. New signings such as Alexander Isak have yet to hit full stride. Isak has managed 312 minutes and one goal since arriving and missed early Premier League matches while training alone. Mohamed Salah appeared a shadow of his usual self on the night.
Arsenal, by contrast, have accelerated momentum after investing £255 million. The arrivals have bolstered the squad. Martin Ødegaard limped off against West Ham with a knee injury that will sideline him “for weeks ,” but Eberechi Eze, signed for £60 million, offers creativity between the lines. Viktor Gyökeres, a £64 million centre-forward, has three Premier League goals already. Martín Zubimendi, another £60 million recruit, provides positioning, ball-winning and passing. All three played their part in the victory over West Ham.
Mikel Arteta’s substitutions mattered. When Ødegaard went off, Zubimendi came on, Declan Rice moved closer to Eze and the team grew more threatening. Arteta also introduced Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Arsenal’s depth now includes signings such as Christian Nørgaard, Cristhian Mosquera and Kepa Arrizabalaga, alongside established internationals like Ben White.
Liverpool’s recruitment has talents that should come good — Hugo Ekitiké alone has started well — but integration and fitness have been issues, and they suffered from not completing moves such as Marc Guéhi in time. There is also the unquantifiable impact of Diogo Jota’s tragic death on the squad.
With Arsenal top through the international break, and Manchester City and Liverpool close behind, the campaign remains wide open. For now Arsenal’s summer work has given them a clearer platform.
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.
