Arsenal 2025-26 Premier League fixtures analysed 

Here's Arsenal writer Nick Manfredi with his take on the Gunners Premier League fixtures for 2025-26 

It hasn’t even been a month since Arsenal last kicked a ball in anger, but the fixtures are out, and we can now start planning our weekends for the next ten or so months.

And what a treat the “random” fixture generator has thrown up for us! In a remarkable twist from normality, everybody will play everybody else twice, home and away. Remarkable stuff. But unfortunately, you must play teams in a certain order, you can’t just pick and choose. Otherwise, I’d imagine we’d opt to play Spurs every week, but you are obligated play the serious sides as well.

I know fans of every team think that they are given a horrid start every season, but for us it seems like that is usually the case. We start our campaign at Old Trafford and although the team that plays there resemble a pub side, historically we seem to struggle to get a result there more than any other ground. We then host Leeds which should be about as straightforward as a Premier League game can be, but then we travel to Anfield to face the champions. A daunting afternoon awaits one would think.

It doesn’t get much kinder after that as we will have a pair of home games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. Although those will be tough games, we won those fixtures 3-0 and 5-1 last season, so I am more confident about them. It’s worth mentioning that our Champions League campaign will have begun by then. We won’t know who we will be playing until after the season has started but knowing our luck we will be away to one of our fellow elites.

We then must make the long trek up to the north east to take on Newcastle, a side who tormented us on three occasions last year. I went up to St James’ Park twice last season and on both occasions, we were battered and resembled the structure of a bruised banana. Those stairs are a killer as well.

Generally, the first six games are used as a means of measuring your way to the first checkpoint of the season. If we are in a good place after six games, I think we will be sure to have a strong season.

After those six games unsurprisingly, the schedule becomes kinder mainly because by that point we would’ve played so many of our rivals.

Personally, I would be happy with a minimum of 13 points from those first six. Regardless of our poor Old Trafford record, if we want to put a marker down right from the off, we should be looking to win that. Leeds at home is a “no excuses” type of game. As for Anfield, provided we win the first two, a draw would be fine. Liverpool hardly ever lose in front of their own fans and we have drawn there in all the past three seasons.

Forest and City will be interesting because we perform well in these kinds of games, but you wouldn’t be surprised if we falter somewhere. I’m going to go with a win and a draw.

Then at Newcastle I see us scraping a win by the odd goal. That would put us on 14 points, a very healthy return. We would then have lots of winnable games coming up and it would provide a platform to really assert our presence in the title race whilst our rivals have to contend with more big games in that period.

It is difficult to make such predictions a full two months from the start of the season when so much can happen in the transfer window between now and then.

If I were you, I’d take these predictions with a pinch of salt, but we can only make predictions based on what we already know.

What we do know is we will absolutely have to start the season like a house on fire and in an ideal world that means having the bulk of our signings done in time for the season.

As of yet all we really know is the Zubimendi announcement is imminent, and it looks like Kepa is on his way as Raya’s numero dos.

As for the striker search, your guess is as good as mine. It’s worth considering that the transfer window remains open until just after our visit to Anfield on Gameweek three. It really would be quite useful if we have our shiny new striker by then. Perhaps a winger too if we’re lucky.

Will our daunting start spur on Berta and Arteta to get our targets in for pre-season?

Many of our players will be back in training at some point next week, then we will probably jet off to the Far East around July 20 which is still a good four weeks away.

There are suggestions that many clubs are keen to wait until July 1 before doing business so that dealings will fall into the next financial year rather than this one so perhaps starting next week, things will start heating up.

The football never really stops, does it?

Previous articles by exciting new Arsenal writer Nick Manfredi:

Martin Odegaard: Here's to a better 2025-26 for the Arsenal captain

All Hail Declan Rice: Arsenal's midfield genius

Arsenal's new red and white home kit: Lighten my wallet now

Feel the positivity under Arteta after Rice's superb stunner steers Arsenal to the Champions League