Arsenal’s 2026/27 Premier League campaign is just days away, with Mikel Arteta’s side aiming to retain their crown and secure back-to-back league titles for the first time since the 1930s.

The Gunners ended their 22-year wait for a league title last term, gazumping Manchester City in Pep Guardiola’s final season as the Citizens’ boss. They also toppled the north-west club in the season’s curtain-raiser on Saturday, emerging from the Community Shield as 3-0 winners at the Millennium Stadium.

This result over Enzo Maresca’s men came after a somewhat dubious pre-season for Arteta’s team, which exposed some of their flaws heading into the new campaign.

With that said, here is everything we learned from Arsenal’s run-up to the 2026/27 season.

Arsenal still need more attacking firepower

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

As good as Arsenal looked against City, their previous three matches in pre-season all ended without victory. Conceding six goals across defeats to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund, before being held by Como at the Emirates Stadium, might have raised alarm bells for Arteta.

While the Spaniard can probably compartmentalise these results due to the lack of key personnel who were away enjoying holidays after the World Cup, certain aspects of the games might have concerned him. Most notably, the Gunners looked incapable of threatening the opposition for long periods of these matches.

Ultimately, these offensive deficiencies highlighted the need to dip into the market again and strengthen the attack. The North London club are seemingly aware of this, but time is running out.

Bradley Barcola remains a viable option, with the player said to be keen on a move to the English capital despite the intense speculation linking him to Liverpool. The likes of Kenan Yildiz and Julian Alvarez continue to surface in conversations around potential targets, but Arsenal are yet to make a concrete move for either.

Arsenal’s defence is light on options

Arsenal were without Jurrien Timber and William Saliba for the entirety of pre-season, leaving their options on the right-hand side of the defence extremely limited. The Dutchman is said to be a matter of weeks away from a return, while the Frenchman could be out for the first three or four months of the campaign.

In the duo’s absence, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera stepped up, but behind them, the Gunners are relying on inexperienced academy prospects. Theo Julienne and Marli Salmon started the final pre-season match against Como, and while the latter impressed, Arteta will surely be reluctant to use either player in meaningful games in the season proper.

If one of White or Mosquera were to sustain an injury in the next few days, the Arsenal manager would be forced to push someone into an unnatural position. One of Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi would likely fill in at right-back, which is far from ideal, even if for just a matter of games.

Arsenal are clearly looking to address this shortage in their squad. Ezri Konsa remains a primary target, while Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah emerged as an option late last week.

A Declan Rice injury would hurt more than Mikel Arteta could imagine

Arsenal’s Declan Rice via REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Midfield is where Arsenal were most hindered by World Cup absences throughout pre-season. Zubimendi, Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze all joined up with the squad late, while Bruno Guimaraes only completed his move to the Emirates towards the end of pre-season.

This meant that Myles Lewis-Skelly was left to hold down the fort by himself in most games, with the teenager deployed alongside attacking midfielders like Ethan Nwaneri and Kai Havertz for the majority of the minutes. Unsurprisingly, this left the Gunners vulnerable in the middle of the park.

A recurring theme throughout pre-season was Arsenal’s midfield getting bypassed, particularly in moments of transition, leaving opposition attackers driving at their back four in space. As good as Lewis-Skelly is in possession, he’s not a particularly effective recovery defender, and this showed.

This problem also continued into the first half of the Community Shield, even with Guimaraes added to the mix. City were able to break past Arsenal’s midfield and into space several times throughout the first half.

Declan Rice is evidently the man who prevents these moments from materialising when he starts. The England international has the remarkable ability to eat up ground when the opposition has breached Arsenal’s midfield line, and win the ball back.

If Rice were to sustain an injury of any significance, Arsenal might seriously struggle to contain the opposition in transition.

Myles Lewis-Skelly is a potential superstar who cannot be sold

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

While he looked slightly susceptible to fast breaks when playing as a solo pivot in the first few matches, Lewis-Skelly showed his elite in-possession abilities throughout pre-season. Tasked with orchestrating Arsenal’s build-up as the sole midfielder, he did this effectively and was a point of reference for the Gunners in this position.

The youngster was essentially on trial throughout this pre-season, and he passed with flying colours. Speculation surfaced online linking him with moves to Manchester United and Chelsea, hinting that Arsenal might be prepared to cash in after signing Guimaraes, and if the starlet failed to impress in pre-season.

Despite his excellent end to last season, the sample size of Lewis-Skelly in midfield was still too small to be sure about him in this role heading into the new season. Arsenal were looking for assurances with his displays in these friendlies, and he’s certainly done enough to convince the key decision-makers at Highbury House that he is capable of being a prominent squad player for a team with Premier League and Champions League aspirations.

Arsenal simply cannot cash in on a player who could dominate their midfield for several years to come.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 18/08/2026

Aston Villa have tabled a formal bid to sign West Ham United star Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer.

The Villans are in the market to bolster their full-back positions as Unai Emery looks to find competition for Matty Cash at right-back, while Matteo Ruggeri is set to sign from Atletico Madrid to replace Lucas Digne at left-back, after he joined Paris Saint-Germain.

The Hammers star has emerged as the top target for the club as they prepare to return to the Champions League, and it has now emerged that they have tabled a straight loan offer to bring him back to the top flight following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship.

According to a report by The Athletic, Villa sent in an offer of a straight loan for the DR Congo international, but it was immediately rejected by West Ham.

The right-back has been valued at £25m by the east London club, and now both clubs are understood to be in talks to find an agreement on a fee for a permanent deal, with Villa keen to lower the fee to something they consider to be more affordable.

West Ham are unlikely to be easy to negotiate with, however, having already sold Crysencio Summerville to Al Hilal for £68m, while they also sold Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record £85m in this window.

Aston Villa have previously shown an interest in Flamengo defender Emerson Royal for the position, but a deal did not materialise. They have also agreed to allow youngster Kosta Nedeljkovic to depart on loan to Rangers, with an obligation to make the move permanent if he makes a certain number of appearances.

The club have already completed deals to sign Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, and Alejandro Garnacho this summer, but they are still expected to be active in the final weeks of the window.

‘Ridiculous’ Wan-Bissaka a Coup for Aston Villa

Wan-Bissaka has been a regular at the highest level for several years now, and he has got the experience of playing in the top-flight, the Champions League, and now even the World Cup.

Cash has been a more than reliable option at right-back for Emery, but he needs competition if he is to be at his best level to avoid complacency, and Wan-Bissaka can absolutely provide that. He also offers top-level defensive ability, which could be incredibly useful in certain games.

While his qualities on the ball have always been questioned, his defensive ability has never been in doubt, with Tottenham playmaker James Maddison describing him as ‘ridiculously good’.

The NFL season is finally just a month away with all 32 teams looking to claim the Vince Lombardi trophy in Los Angeles.

Last time out, it was the Seattle Seahawks who came out with the win, as they completed a 29-13 shutout of the New England Patriots to claim the coveted trophy for a second time in their history.

This offseason has seen lots of movement around the league with big names like Kirk Cousins, Tua Tagliaova, and A.J. Brown all moving on to new teams in free agency.

There have also been coaching changes, with the most notable being Sean Mcdermott’s departure from the Buffalo Bills as his offensive coordinator, Jon Brady, comes in to hopefully put a strongly rated Bills side in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.

But with all that, GiveMeSport has asked AI to describe every NFL team in one word, so let’s see what it has to say about the teams this season.

AFC East

The Bills are going into this season with an unproven but highly valuable head coach in Brady, and Josh Allen will be even more committed to trying to finally get the Bills to a Super Bowl after 32 years away from one.

AI has described the Bills as ‘relentless’, as is the spirit of the Bills Mafia fans, who will never give up cheering on their team and can cause a headache for opposition fans thanks to their perseverance. And the Bills are like that on the field as well. They are known for their aggressive style of play, and they’ll be hoping to bring more of that to the league next season.

Brady will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders with the Bills currently topping the odds on a trip to the Super Bowl, but will he and Allen have the same connection as the star QB had with McDermott?

The Dolphins have been on a downward spiral for quite some time now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better with this offseason. Having not won a playoff game since 2000 and two losing seasons in a row, it has seen Mike McDaniel fired from the top spot and replaced, with former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley coming in to shake things up.

Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Dolphins have also finally decided to trade away Tua, who went to the Falcons, and the new QB in Miami is going to be Mallik Willis, who was back up at the Packers last year, only starting once in that time, but he’ll be hoping to finally get the chance to prove himself as Miami are moving into another transition period.

The Patriots are finally back in the top seat of the AFC East, and they have a Super Bowl appearance to prove it. Drake Maye came out of the shadows in his second year in the league, becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league thanks to a string of high-volume performances. The Patriots have also got the likes of Christian Gonzales and Romeo Doubs, and the trade for Brown shows that they are very likely to compete again.

The Patriots are described as resurgent thanks to their ability to come back in games and how a disappointing era after the Brady/Belichick coalition ended has been resurged by Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel has been in an off-field scandal this year after being found to have had an inappropriate relationship with an NFL journalist, but hopefully, it won’t mix into what is another chance for the Pats to go to the Super Bowl.

Rebooting is a word that Jets fans will have heard for years and years. It was another disappointing season for them as new head coach Aaron Glenn was unable to do much with a lacklustre side ending with a 3-14 record. The Jets picked David Bailey, an offensive linebacker from Texas Tech, as they looked for protection for their new quarterback, Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jets fans will hope this reboot will finally put them into the playoffs at least for the first time since 2010.

AFC North

It was a disappointing year for most teams in the AFC North and that can definitely be said for the Bengals, as, after Joe Burrow got injured early on, they were kind of trapped pretty early on as they finished on a 6-11 record, which was disappointing to say the least.

The Ravens have always had a reputation for playing committed football with their players putting their bodies on the line in the scrimmage. Just look at Lamar Jackson and his running game. Baltimore had a disappointing season, with Jon Harburgh’s side losing out on a playoff spot for the first time in four years.

Harbaugh’s out and former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is in as the Ravens look to get back to their best while Jackson is still at the top of his game.

If there’s a franchise to be described as gritty, it has to be the Steelers. The side took advantage of the weakness of the North last season, finishing in the surprising top spot. But the playoff Wildcard game saw defeat to the Texans and the end of Mike Tomlin’s 19-season reign as Steelers head coach.

Former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has come in as they hope to compete once again in what looks to be a more challenging AFC North this season.

The Browns have always been a chaotic organisation and a 5-12 record last season added to what some might call a circus in the Cleveland backroom, and AI seems to think that as well.

Star player Myles Garrett has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams and new head coach Todd Monken will be hoping to keep the Browns on a steady ship, but many have tried before.

AFC West

The Broncos have had a quick rise under Sean Payton as he’s brought the best out of his side as seen from last year’s playoff run, which saw them finish in the number one seed and get to the AFC Conference final, which ended in defeat to the New England Patriots. Bo Nix has kept on improving and even with the competition in the AFC West, they’ve been able to find a way to compete.

Chargers and energy go together like two peas in a pod, and the Chargers have all the energy on the field as well as in their name, with the side hoping to improve on last year’s Wildcard performance, which saw a defeat to the Patriots even with an impressive 11-6 record in the regular season.

Justin Herbert will be locked and loaded once again, as one of the most exciting teams in the NFL gets ready to gear up once again.

The Las Vegas Raiders have to be one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this year and their audacious attitude has a lot to say about that. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is in as head coach coming off a Super Bowl win and the Raiders had the first pick in this season’s draft, picking highly talked about QB Fernando Mendoza. They also signed Cousins, as the two will look to compete for the QB 1 spot.

In terms of Kansas, last season was a nightmarish one for Patrick Mahomes and co, as it was the first time since 2015 that the Chiefs didn’t win the AFC West, and it was just overall a lacklustre year and one that Andy Reid will be looking to look past.

The Chiefs should not fear, though. Mahomes will want to win and with it being Travis Kelce’s potential last year in the sport, they should be looking at getting revenge from last season.

AFC South

Jacksonville are a very young team with lots of potential and intrigue around them, as Liam Cohen showed that his side could compete last year with a place in the playoffs. The loss of Travis Ettiene will have disappointed some Jags fans, but the potential of their team with the likes of Josh Hines Allen, Trevor Lawrence, and Brian Thomas Jr shows a bright future for the franchise, and the potential to go again in the playoffs. A 13-4 record last year showed that the Jags are capable of winning, and they’ll be hoping for more of that next year.

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans have been described as bruising with their brilliant defensive record, which was put on full display in last year’s wildcard match against the Stelelers. It looks to be a two-horse race in the AFC South between the Jags and Texans, as Houston looks to make the playoffs for a fourth year in a row.

The Indianapolis Colts have been described as unsettled with their 8-9 record not looking likely to improve this season, but the return of Daniel Jones to the squad and if Jonathon Taylor can go back to his highest form, there is a chance that they could enter the conference championship talk with the Jaguars and Texans.

The Tennessee Titans have been described as Raw. Ever since the loss of Derrick Henry and Cam Ward, there wasn’t the instant impact that many thought he could have, but there is an unproven energy to the side, which AI thinks the Titans could bring to the AFC.

NFC East

The Eagles were the only team in the division to make the playoffs. The 2025 Super Bowl winners were unable to progress past the Wildcard round, with the San Francisco 49ers taking the win in a close match-up, but the Eagles look to come back into the Super Bowl chat with an impressive roster such as Jalen Carter, Saquon Barkley, and Jalen Hurts, with AI describing the side as loaded with six of their players being in the top 100 current active players in the NFL, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them win the division again.

The Dallas Cowboys were described as frustrating with the wait for a Super Bowl coming back to Dallas being 31 years, and it doesn’t look to be getting any better.

The Commanders and the Giants aren’t expected to do much either this season. With the Commanders seeing Jayden Daniels injured for most of the season, the team were affected big time, and it doesn’t look to get any better this year. Meanwhile, the Giants look to be desperate, according to AI, as they haven’t competed since the days of Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr.

NFC West

Potentially the most competitive division in the league, it proved to be very entertaining last season with the 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks all competing in it. All the teams got into the playoffs last year and the Seahawks will look to defend their record and go again, while the Rams are also expected to be competing with Matthew Stafford, Deviant Adams, and numerous others, making up a superb team that they’re sure to want a Super Bowl on home soil with it being hosted in LA this season.

Meanwhile, the 49ers have been described as fragile due to what has been a chaotic training camp with multiple injuries and the news of Kyle Shanahan’s car accident which rocked the camp, but they will be hoping to once again compete with two other amazing teams in the Seahawks and Rams.

The Arizona Cardinals are a team to feel bad for as they seem to have no chance with the stack of talent in the division, and their team is very uncertain this season in such a competitive sphere, and it could be another tough watch for the Arizona faithful.

NFC North

The Chicago Bears finally had their breakthrough last season thanks to Caleb Williams’ heroics, and the team finally looks like it could compete on a larger scale. Ben Johnson has been an impressive addition to the coaching staff and the hype has been real over his future as a world-class head coach.

They have stiff competition from the Packers, however, with an impressive free agency which saw Benjman St Juste join the team, but Jeff Hafley leaving to join Miami might have an effect on the side. They’ll be hoping to get revenge on the same Bears that won the division and the Wild Card playoff defeat.

It was a very close division with the Detroit Lions and Vikings just missing out on the playoffs even with a five-game winning streak to end the season. The Lions have been described as hungry, with an impressive side of a sturdy QB in Jarred Goff and a great team behind him.

NFC South

The losing division as it was known last year, every team had a losing record, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Carolina Panthers all finishing on 8-9, with the Panthers making the playoffs after winning the division, with a close wildcard game to the Rams being the nail in the coffin.

AI has described Carolina as emerging with Bryce Yuong continuing to impress and the young team around him has people looking at the Panthers as a competitor for the future.

The Buccaneers haven’t been able to get over Tom Brady’s departure for quite some years now, but they’ll be hoping their team stars of Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, and Tristan Wirfs can be the impacts they need to achieve a winning record this season.

The Falcons will hope their young squad can finally gel, as new QB Tua will be hoping to finally get his career back on track after multiple concussion injuries and, with a young squad around him to lead, there is definitely the opportunity for that.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints finished 6-11 last year, but they’ve had an impressive free agency to add to their rebuild, with the biggest of them all being Travis Ettienne and David Edwards. But the loss of Alontae Taylor and Demario Davis will have an effect on the team, but there is the potential of the Saints being in the conversation to win the NFC South with it being so open.