The 2024–25 season was Arsenal Football Club's 33rd season in the Premier League, their 99th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, and 108th 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 Champions League, the latter of which was their 39th European campaign. The season covers the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
Managed by Mikel Arteta in his fifth full season, Arsenal finished as Premier League runners-up for the third consecutive campaign and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2008–09.
Review Background
The 2023–24 campaign was a record-breaking season for Arsenal. They kicked off their campaign by winning the FA Community Shield for the 17th time in their history.
The Gunners were the third-youngest team in the 2023–24 Premier League with an average starting age of 25 years and 158 days. They scored 91 goals in the Premier League, their highest-ever total in the competition. It was the most they had netted in a league campaign since 1952–53. Arteta's side conceded just 29 goals in the Premier League – five fewer than the second-lowest team. This was Arsenal's best defensive record for 20 years. They finished with a goal difference of +62 in the division, their highest-ever total in the competition's history. The Gunners kept 18 clean sheets (7 at home, 11 on the road) in the league, five more than the second-highest sides.
Arsenal won 28 Premier League games in the 2023–24 season, their highest tally in a top-flight campaign since 1970–71. The Gunners picked up 89 points, the second-highest total in their history. However, this was still not enough to win the Premier League title. Arteta's side ended their season as runners-up – the third-best second-placed team in the competition's history – two points behind champions Manchester City.
After a six-year absence, Arsenal started their 20th UEFA Champions League campaign since the 1992–93 season in September 2023. They finished the group stage as winners of Group B, with the highest goal difference of any team (+12). The Gunners progressed to the quarter-final of the Champions League for the first time since 2009–10, ending a run of seven consecutive last-16 eliminations in the competition. Their first Champions League campaign in seven years finished in the last eight, after a 3–2 aggregate loss to German side Bayern Munich.
Pre-season The UEFA Euro 2024 took place in Germany from 14 June to 14 July. Ten Arsenal players (excluding loaned out players) were named in squads for the tournament: Leandro Trossard (Belgium), Aaron Ramsdale, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka (England), William Saliba (France), Kai Havertz (Germany), Jorginho (Italy), Jakub Kiwior (Poland), David Raya (Spain), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine). Raya became a Euro 2024 winner as Spain beat England in the final.
Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli were named in Brazil's squad for the 2024 Copa América, held in the United States from 20 June to 14 July. Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals on 6 July.
On 24 June, Arsenal announced that Estonian goalkeeper and academy graduate Karl Hein had signed a new contract.
It was reported on 15 July that the first-team players who had not been away on international duty at Euro 2024 or Copa América were back to the London Colney training ground for pre-season training.
On 21 July, manager Arteta named an initial 26-man squad – including 12 academy players – for the trip to the United States where they would play three friendlies.
Three days later, Arsenal faced Premier League side Bournemouth at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Fábio Vieira gave the Gunners a first-half lead with a volley. The Cherries equalised through a deflected Antoine Semenyo effort in the second half. Following the game, a pre-planned penalty shootout took place, which saw Arteta's side triumph 5–4 with Kiwior netting the winning spot-kick after Hein made two saves.
On 27 July, the Gunners took on Premier League club Manchester United at SoFi Stadium, the home of the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams which is also owned by Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. Rasmus Højlund gave United an early lead. Gabriel Jesus levelled for Arteta's side with a close-range finish. Substitute Martinelli scored a late goal, helping Arsenal win 2–1. In the post-match penalty shootout, United won 4–3 following misses from Havertz and Kiwior.
Arsenal played their third and final game of the 10-day USA tour against Premier League side Liverpool at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on 31 July. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Fábio Carvalho gave Liverpool a 2–0 lead. The Gunners pulled one back through Havertz's close-range shot, but they were unable to find an equaliser. After the game, Arteta's team flew back to London overnight.
On 6 August, the club confirmed that Zinchenko would wear the number 17 shirt, moving from his previous number 35.
The Gunners continued their preparations for the new season with a 4–1 win over reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at Emirates Stadium on 7 August. Zinchenko, Trossard and Gabriel Jesus all scored in the first half. Havertz then added a fourth after half-time. Xabi Alonso's side claimed a late consolation through Adam Hložek.
Arsenal finished their pre-season campaign by beating Ligue 1 side Lyon 2–0 to claim the 2024 Emirates Cup on 11 August. Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães both scored from Rice corners in the first half. New signing Riccardo Calafiori made his non-competitive debut for the Gunners as a substitute in the 64th minute.
First-team transfers (summer transfer window) The Premier League summer transfer window ran from 14 June to 30 August 2024. Arsenal announced on 3 June that they were to release 22 players, two of whom, Mohamed Elneny and Cédric Soares, had made 161 and 64 appearances for the Gunners' first-team in all competitions respectively.
On 4 July, the club confirmed that they had completed the permanent signing of 28-year-old Spanish goalkeeper and reigning Premier League Golden Glove winner David Raya from Premier League side Brentford on a long-term deal after the Spaniard's initial loan spell with the Gunners in 2023–24. The transfer fee was reported to be £27 million. He is the fifteenth player from Spain to represent Arsenal's first team.
On 15 July, the Gunners announced the departures of two first-team players: Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga joined La Liga club Sevilla on a season-long loan, and Portuguese defender Nuno Tavares joined Serie A side Lazio on a one-year loan.
Arsenal confirmed on 29 July that 22-year-old Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori had joined the club on a long-term contract from Serie A side Bologna, for a reported fee of an initial £33.6 million (€40 million), which could reach £42 million (€50 million) with add-ons. He would wear the number 33 shirt, and would be the fourth Italian to feature for the Gunners in competitive action.
On 2 August, the club announced that English midfielder and academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe, who had made 115 first-team appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, joined Premier League side Fulham on a permanent transfer. The fee was reported to be an initial £27 million, potentially rising to £34 million in add-ons.
The Gunners confirmed on 13 August that Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein had joined La Liga side Real Valladolid on a one-year loan.
On 27 August, Arsenal announced that 28-year-old Spanish midfielder and Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino had joined the club from La Liga side Real Sociedad on a long-term contract. The transfer fee was reported to be an initial £27.4 million (€32.5 million), with a further £4.2 million (€5 million) in add-ons. He would take the number 23 shirt, and would be the sixteenth Spaniard to play for Arsenal's first team.
On 28 August, the club confirmed the loan departure of Portuguese midfielder Fábio Vieira to Primeira Liga side Porto until the end of the season.
On English transfer deadline day, 30 August, Arsenal announced that the club had signed 35-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper Neto on a season-long loan from Premier League side Bournemouth. He would take the number 32 shirt. On the night 29-year-old English forward Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on a one-year loan from Premier League club Chelsea after a deal sheet was submitted to allow his move to go through beyond the transfer deadline. He would wear the number 30 shirt.
On the same day, the Gunners confirmed the departures of three first-team players: English Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale joined Premier League side Southampton on a permanent transfer for a reported fee of £18 million with £7 million in add-ons. English striker and academy graduate Eddie Nketiah, who had made 168 first-team appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, joined Premier League club Crystal Palace on a permanent deal. The fee was reported to be an initial £25 million, potentially rising to £30 million in add-ons. English forward and academy graduate Reiss Nelson joined Premier League side Fulham on a season-long loan.
After the summer transfer window closed, there were twenty-two players in the first-team squad: two goalkeepers, nine defenders, six midfielders, and five forwards. Six other first-team players were out on loan.
August Arteta's side kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 2–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on 17 August. Havertz headed in a 25th-minute opener from Saka's cross before the roles were reversed on 74 minutes as Saka picked up Havertz's pass and rifled into the near post. Arsenal goalkeeper Raya made two vital saves to keep out Jørgen Strand Larsen's close-range header and Pablo Sarabia's first-time volley. The result meant that the Gunners had scored in each of their last 34 meetings with Wolves in all competitions, the longest scoring streak against an opponent in the club's history.
On 24 August, Arsenal played their first away game of the season against Aston Villa, the only side to complete the league double over the Gunners in the previous campaign. The hosts thought they had taken the lead on 54 minutes when Amadou Onana's deflected shot looped up onto the crossbar, with the rebound falling for an unmarked Ollie Watkins to head home from close range, only for Arsenal goalkeeper Raya to get off the ground to make a stunning one-handed stop, which would later win August 2024's Premier League Save of the Month award. Substitute Trossard broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, sweeping home with his first touch. Partey scored his first away goal in the Premier League on 77 minutes with a long-range effort. Two minutes later, manager Arteta sent on new signing Calafiori for his Gunners debut. The 2–0 win meant that Arsenal had won their first two games in a top-flight campaign without conceding for the third time in their history, after previously doing so in 1924–25 and 1971–72.
On 30 August, Arsenal announced that new recruit Mikel Merino, who joined the club just three days prior, suffered a shoulder injury in his first training session with the team. He would be out of action for a few weeks. Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu were also out injured.