Having assembled one of the better squads in world football, Arsenal came into this season with high hopes of claiming some silverware. Despite the initial optimism though, Mikel Arteta is facing the real prospect of yet another trophyless camoaign. For all the quality available in the Arsenal squad, they have not won a major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.
Is there still hope for the Gunners though or will they end up going five consecutive seasons without celebrating a meaningful trophy? If the latter, what will this mean for Arteta, given he has overseen a net transfer spend of £469m across the past five seasons, a figure only beaten by Manchester United and Chelsea?
Situation at the Start of the Campaign
Although trophyless last term, Arsenal looked like a side that was capable of winning silverware, with a little more good fortune.
| Competition (2023/24) | Performance |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 2nd (Two points from 1st) |
| FA Cup | Third Round (Defeat to Liverpool) |
| League Cup | Fourth Round (Defeat to West Ham) |
| Champions League | Quarter-Finals (Defeat to Bayern Munich) |
Their total of 89 points would have been enough to clinch the title in many previous editions of the Premier League but Man City proved impossible to catch. In the FA Cup, the Gunners were handed a tough third round draw and even the away trip to West Ham in the League Cup was hardly an easy fixture. On the continent, the Gunners gave it a real try but lost 3-2 on aggregate to a Bayern Munich side brimming full of talent.
Despite the lack of trophies, Arsenal still looked like a team capable of winning them, especially if they improved their squad further. This is what they did through the purchases of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, as well as securing David Raya on a permanent basis. With three new additions and no key players departing, the north London outfit began the season looking like serious trophy challengers.
| Competition (2024/25) | Start of Season Odds |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 7/4 (Second favourites) |
| FA Cup | 6/1 (Joint second favourites) |
| League Cup | 6/1 (Second favourites) |
| Champions League | 8/1 (Third favourites) |
As you can see, Arsenal came into the 2024/25 campaign with a credible shot at four trophies. Fans will have been hoping for one at a minimum with any extra being a bonus. At the current rate though, even one will be a big ask.
Current Situation
Already out of two competitions, the Gunners’ attention is now on just the Premier League and Champions League.
| Competition (2024/25) | Current Status (11 Feb 2025) |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 2nd |
| FA Cup | Eliminated (Third Round) |
| League Cup | Eliminated (Semi-Finals) |
| Champions League | Into the Final 16 |
Let us take a closer look at the two competitions that could yet prove to be a source of silverware for the club this campaign.
Premier League
At the time of writing, Liverpool are strong 1/4 favourites to claim the Premier League title with Arsenal standing as the only credible challenger (4/1). It would be foolish to completely write the Gunners off but they would need a very strong finish to the campaign. The way Liverpool have been playing this season, even just a couple more slip-ups might see the Gunners unable to catch up to the current league leaders.
Arsenal’s performance so far is in keeping with their underlying stats so they would either need to see tangible improvements or enjoy better fortune across the final 14 matches (assuming Liverpool don’t tail off). The only trouble with improvements is that Arteta is having to deal with a squad light in attacking options due to injuries. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are out for the season, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are not expected to return before late March. This leaves the Gunners with just three notable attacking options Leandro Trossard, Sterling and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.
If not for these injuries the Gunners would be able to pile much more pressure on Liverpool but as it is, it seems more likely they will slip away. The north Londoners have some potentially tough matches coming up including Nottingham Forest (A) and Chelsea (H) and these are the kinds of fixtures where their lack of attacking options could prove costly. They will retain their attacking threat from set-pieces at least but are in real danger of their open play attack falling short of a title-winning standard.
Champions League
A strong league phase performance saw Arsenal finish third in the table with 19 points, making them comfortably avoid having to face a knockout phase play-off to book their last 16 place. The Gunners know they face one of four possible opponents in the last 16 (Juventus, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and Milan), all of which they will consider winnable ties even with their injury-struck squad.
The positive news for the Londoners is that if they can secure safe passage through the Round of 16, the quarter-finals do not take place until 8/9th April. By this point, it might be that they have both Saka and Martinelli back in action. How far Arteta’s men can go in the competition will ultimately depend on how the bracket shapes up but their defensive strength will give them a chance against most outfits.
You must wonder though if the absence of a quality striker will be their undoing when playing one of the very best teams across two legs. The Gunners have no recognised number nine and have lost their top goalscorer across competitions in German Havertz (15) to injury. At odds of 6/1, they are not without hope but they perhaps do not have a complete enough side to win this competition.
What Would a Trophyless Season Mean for Arteta?
Spaniard Arteta has already lost the support of some Arsenal fans but this does not count for a great deal. Nobody with any control over his future appears to want him gone, which is why you can still back him as long as 100/1 to be the next Premier League manager to leave their post. Given the progress he has overseen during his time in north London, there is little reason to even contemplate sacking him. Yes, not winning a trophy this season will be a disappointment but given the injury problems the club has faced and the failure to sign a striker (out of Arteta’s hands), concessions can be made.
You also have to factor in that trophies are simply difficult to win, so clubs do not judge failure to win one as harshly as some fans do. It is far more important to the powers that be at Arsenal that the club is continuing to be competitive and heading in the right direction. Finally, it is not as though there is a long list of silverware-laden managers available to swoop in to replace the Spaniard. So, barring a gigantic end-of-season collapse, we fully expect Arteta to remain at the Emirates for a fair while longer.