For the fourth straight campaign, Arsenal enter with the same backdrop as recent seasons: coming off a year in second place. Not a fleeting position, but a pattern that now shapes their identity. The Gunners are desperate to jettison the stigma of being a fence-setter.

Support for Mikel Arteta remains strong in some quarters. Former Arsenal midfielder Anders Limpar calls the criticism “outrageous,” adding, “he’s one of the best managers in the world.”

On the other side are the skeptics. They see a manager backed with over $250 million in transfer spending this summer alone and around $850–$900 million since taking charge, yet still no league title. Only one FA Cup.

The clock is ticking, some say, as is Arteta’s predictability in build-up patterns. “Next season FC” has become a weary in-joke, a way for even patient supporters to admit the wait is wearing thin.

A fragile consensus?

Arsenal’s record is undeniable: 84 points in 2022-23, 89 in 2023-24, and 74 in 2024-25, second again behind Liverpool. Those point totals put them among the most consistent sides in club history, yet without silverware, the achievement feels incomplete.

Online sentiment mirrors that split. On r/Arsenal, one thread defending Arteta — “We are not a sacking club” — was met with equal parts support and accusations of “bottling it” in decisive moments. Pundits echo the tension. Paul Merson has warned that without tangible success, Arteta could be gone by Christmas. Flashpoints, like “ArtetaOut” trending or the defaced murals outside the Emirates, skew louder than the majority view, yet they color the conversation and raise the stakes for what comes next.

argue that repeated near misses often precede a breakthrough. They point to Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp, who finished second before winning the Premier League, and Manchester United under Alex Ferguson in the 1990s. They cite Arsenal’s young core, , Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba, Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz, as proof that the team is still ascending. Can new recruit Viktor Gyökeres be the difference maker?

But critics counter that the clock is running on goodwill. Heavy investment with zero trophies raises uncomfortable questions about whether Arteta can turn consistent contention into a title. , usually protective of the club, told Gary Neville’s Overlap podcast he was disappointed Arsenal did not reach a final or seriously push Liverpool last year.

The board’s stance, for now, is to back Arteta. Yet another season without silverware, especially after such financial backing, could make that position harder to defend. In the meantime, the Emirates will open its gates again with hope in the air and tension under the surface, a combination Arsenal fans have come to know well.