The 2022–23 season was Arsenal Football Club's 31st season in the Premier League, their 97th consecutive season in the top flight of English football and 106th season in the top flight overall. In addition to the domestic league, Arsenal also participated in this season's editions of the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League, the latter of which was their 37th European campaign.
Managed by Mikel Arteta in his third full season, Arsenal were the second-youngest team in the Premier League with an average starting age of 25 years and 52 days. Following eliminations from the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League, they finished second in the Premier League and qualified for next season's UEFA Champions League after a six-year absence.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. Notably, the fixture dates of domestic and European competitions were altered to accommodate the FIFA World Cup played in November and December 2022 in Qatar.
Review Background On 20 December 2019, Arsenal appointed former club captain Mikel Arteta – who was 37 years old then and had never managed before – as the new head coach on a three-and-a-half-year deal. The 2019–20 season had been defined by a three-month lull between March and June, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; and when it returned, it was behind closed doors. The Gunners finished the league season in eighth place – far from a European qualification spot; but they earned a record-extending 14th FA Cup win on 1 August 2020, helping them qualify for next season's Europa League, and making Arteta the first person to win the FA Cup as both captain and coach of the club.
The 2020–21 season was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as lots of domestic and European games were played behind closed doors. After Arsenal triumphed in the 2020 FA Community Shield, Arteta's title was changed to manager. On 26 December 2020, the Gunners recorded an important victory at home against Chelsea to end their seven-game run without a win in the Premier League and relieve the pressure on Arteta. On 18 April 2021, Arsenal were announced as a founding club of the breakaway European competition The Super League; they withdrew from the competition two days later amid near-universal condemnation. The Gunners finished the season in eighth place once again, this time not qualifying for a European competition for the first time in 25 years.
The 2021–22 season, which was documented in the Amazon Prime Video series All or Nothing: Arsenal, was a rollercoaster season for the Gunners. With their three consecutive defeats without scoring a goal to open the Premier League campaign, the club dropped to 20th, sitting at the bottom of the table, which was their worst start to a season for 67 years. Since then, a new look Arsenal started to emerge, with several academy graduates and new signings making a major impact. In fact, the Gunners were the youngest team in the 2021–22 Premier League with an average starting age of 24 years and 308 days – more than a whole year younger than the next team. Arteta's Arsenal rebuild on and off the pitch began to take shape in this season, with the Gunners moving into the top four for several times between December 2021 and May 2022. On 6 May 2022, the club announced that the Spaniard had signed a new contract to the end of the 2024–25 campaign. Arsenal finished the league season in fifth place, narrowly missing out on Champions League football.
Pre-season
It was reported on 29 June 2022 that the first-team players who were not in action for their respective countries since the end of the previous campaign were back to the London Colney training ground for pre-season training.
On 4 July, the Gunners travelled to Germany for a small training camp at Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach. Five academy players – Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand, Charlie Patino, Matt Smith, Lino Sousa and Reuell Walters – were with the first-team squad.
Four days later, Arsenal faced 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg at Max-Morlock-Stadion in Nuremberg. New signings Gabriel Jesus, Marquinhos and Matt Turner made their non-competitive debuts for the club in a 5–3 win. They returned to England on the next day.
On 11 July, Arsenal confirmed that the internationals who were in action for their respective countries in June were all back to London Colney. Two days later, manager Arteta named a 33-man squad for the trip to the United States where they would play three more friendlies. The 17-year-old defender Reuell Walters was the only academy player to travel with the first team to the US.
The Gunners faced fellow Premier League side Everton at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on 16 July. Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka both scored one goal in the first half, helping the team win 2–0. Four days later, Arsenal took on Major League Soccer side Orlando City at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Gunners won 3–1 with Gabriel Martinelli scoring the opener, Eddie Nketiah scoring the second, and Reiss Nelson scoring the third.
On 23 July, the club played their third and final game of the USA tour – also the final game of the 2022 Florida Cup series – against Premier League side Chelsea at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. New signing Oleksandr Zinchenko made his non-competitive debut for Arsenal. In the 15th minute, Gabriel Jesus put the Gunners ahead with his fourth goal of pre-season. On 36 minutes, Martin Ødegaard added a further goal by sliding his shot low into the net. Saka scored the third shortly after the hour mark. Albert Sambi Lokonga headed in a cross from Cédric Soares at the far post in the closing stages, making the score 4–0. Arsenal ended the 10-day trip to America with winning the Florida Cup.
The Gunners finished their pre-season campaign by thrashing La Liga side Sevilla 6–0 to claim the 2022 Emirates Cup on 30 July. The match saw four goals in the opening 20 minutes, courtesy of braces from Saka and Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian completing his treble on 77 minutes before Nketiah netted in the final minute.
Before the start of the game against Sevilla, Arsenal announced that Ødegaard was named their new men's first-team captain.
First-team transfers (summer transfer window)
In the previous season, French centre-back William Saliba spent a year on loan with Marseille in Ligue 1. During his time with Marseille, Saliba made 52 appearances in all competitions, and helped the club to second in the league, whilst also reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League season. Saliba was named as Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and was awarded a position in the Team of the Year. He also won his first caps for France. In early June 2022, Saliba confirmed he would return to north London from his Marseille loan spell. He would wear the number 12 shirt from the 2022–23 season.
On 19 May 2022, three days before the last game of the 2021–22 season, Arsenal announced that Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos joined Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart on a permanent transfer. On 24 May, the club confirmed that Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny had signed a new contract. On 10 June, Arsenal announced that they were to release nine players, two of whom, Alexandre Lacazette and Nketiah, made men's first-team appearances for the Gunners. Eight days later, the club confirmed English striker and academy graduate Nketiah signed a new long-term contract, and would wear the number 14 shirt from the 2022–23 season, having previously worn the number 30. The departure of French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi to Ligue 1 side Marseille was announced on 1 July. Two weeks later, the Gunners confirmed American defender Auston Trusty joined EFL Championship side Birmingham City F.C. on a season-long loan.
Arsenal announced their first signing of the summer transfer window on 10 June, with 19-year-old Brazilian forward Marquinhos joining the club on a long-term contract from Série A side São Paulo. Eleven days later, the club announced the signing of 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder Fábio Vieira from Primeira Liga side Porto. He was given the number 21 shirt.
On 27 June, the Gunners confirmed that 28-year-old American goalkeeper Matt Turner had joined the club from Major League Soccer side New England Revolution, and would wear the number 30 shirt. As of June 2022, Turner had made 18 appearances for the United States. He wore the number one shirt and played every game as USA won the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup as hosts, keeping five clean sheets in the tournament, and earning the Golden Glove award. He was also honoured as MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021. Turner has been an Arsenal fan since his teenage years.
In July 2022, the Gunners announced two signings of notable players from fellow Premier League side Manchester City, where Arteta spent three years and a half at as an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola before returning to Arsenal as head coach. On 4 July, 25-year-old Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus joined Arsenal on a long-term contract, and was assigned the number 9 shirt. With the ability to play in several attacking positions, he is one of the leading strikers in the Premier League during his six seasons in Manchester City. On 22 July, 25-year-old Ukrainian left-sided player and Arsenal supporter Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is comfortable operating in midfield and defence, joined the club on a long-term contract, and would wear the number 35 shirt. Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko had both won four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and a number of EFL Cups as Manchester City players. Manager Arteta believed that Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko would help bring a winning mentality to the young squad.
The Gunners continued their summer exodus after signing five players. In late July, the club announced the loan departures of English goalkeeper and academy graduate Arthur Okonkwo and Portuguese defender Nuno Tavares to League Two side Crewe Alexandra and Ligue 1 side Marseille respectively.
On 2 August, Arsenal announced German goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who had made 125 appearances for the club in all competitions, joined fellow Premier League side Fulham on a permanent transfer. On the next day, the Gunners confirmed English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale took the number one shirt, moving from his previous number 32 following Leno's move to Fulham.
The departures of five first-team players were announced afterwards, as English forward and academy graduate Folarin Balogun joined Ligue 1 side Reims on a one-year loan, Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira completed his transfer to Süper Lig side Galatasaray, Spanish defender Pablo Marí joined Serie A side AC Monza on a one-year loan deal, Icelandic goalkeeper Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson joined Süper Lig side Alanyaspor on loan for the 2022–23 season, and Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé joined Ligue 1 side OGC Nice on a season-long loan.
On transfer deadline day, 1 September, two first-team players departed the club. English midfielder and academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined fellow Premier League side Southampton on a one-year loan. Spanish defender and academy graduate Héctor Bellerín, who had made 239 first-team appearances in all competitions and won three FA Cups with the club, joined La Liga side Barcelona on a permanent transfer.
After the summer transfer window closed, there were twenty-four players in the first-team squad: three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders, and seven forwards. Eight first-team players were out on loan.
August