{"id":13577,"date":"2026-06-06T09:10:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=13577"},"modified":"2026-06-11T10:22:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T09:22:49","slug":"if-at-first-you-dont-succeed-the-story-of-arsenals-25-26-league-season-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=13577","title":{"rendered":"If At First You Don\u2019t Succeed – The Story of Arsenal\u2019s 25\/26 League Season – Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2026 arrived  with Arsenal top of the table but facing a daunting January schedule. The last game of 2025 had brought Aston Villa, a potential title rival, to North London. Villa had been the last team to beat Arsenal and had recent history of thwarting Arsenal\u2019s title ambitions. After a tight first half Arsenal broke through as Emi Martinez fumbled a corner with the deadly Gabriel pouncing and then Arsenal let out the clutch and destroyed them. Zubimendi scored from a delightful \u00d8degaard pass, then Trossard and Jesus put them into an unassailable 4-0 lead. We even had time to concede our usual goal to Ollie Watkins before wrapping up a very impressive victory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal\u2019s defence had  built an incredible reputation so it was a matter for general astonishment when, in Arsenal\u2019s next game at Bournemouth, Gabriel presented Evanilson with an early goal as a result of an errant pass. Stung by the mistake, he immediately struck an equaliser and in the second half, Declan Rice drove home two well-taken goals before Junior Kroupi retaliated with a very well-taken effort. Arsenal\u2019s narrow 3-2 victory was the last game that Bournemouth lost in the season and they were to play a very big part in the title story that unfolded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool, the defending champions, were next up at the Emirates as Arsenal sought to build a significant lead. The Merseysiders had endured a disappointing campaign, but they neutralised Arsenal with one of their best performances of the season, and a rather tame 0-0 draw resulted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early January brought the FA Cup third round.  Arsenal seem to have developed an aversion to the FA Cup in recent seasons and their tie away to Portsmouth began in challenging fashion when they immediately fell a goal behind. Christian N\u00f8rgaard helped to force an immediate equaliser and Gabriel Martinelli completed a hat-trick which featured a couple of headers to take us through 4-1. Madueke could even afford to miss a penalty as we cruised home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fixture congestion was a major challenge for Arsenal in this most demanding of months. Next up was the two leg semi-final of the Carabao Cup. The first leg was away to Chelsea and although we won 3-2 the feeling lingered after the match that we had let the residents of the Bus Stop off rather lightly. Ben White scored an early goal from a corner and Gy\u00f6keres made the most of an awful Sanchez mistake early in the second half. However Garnacho brought Chelsea back into the game before Zubimendi scored a delightful solo goal only to see Garnacho score again. The result still represented a very decent start to the tie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last season we had travelled to a very in-form Nottingham Forest and been held to a 0-0 draw. This term we travelled to a much less successful Forest team and despite dominating play replicated a scoreless draw. Sean Dyche had produced a combative team and we seemed to lack the energy and inspiration to take all the points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then welcomed Manchester United to N5 hoping to pull away again and took the lead from a Martinez own goal after fierce early pressure. Zubimendi then gifted Mbuemo an equaliser with a poor sideways pass and Dorgu put United ahead with one of two incredible long range shots from which they were to score. Merino equalised late on with a header in his last game before  sustaining  a serious foot injury but Cunha wrapped up a surprise win for United with a spectacular injury-time goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal travelled to Leeds aware that the home team were undergoing something of a revival but dismissed them comfortably. Zubimendi opened the scoring before Madueke\u2019s curling corner was allowed to creep in by Darlow. Gy\u00f6keres entered from the bench to add a third and Jesus completed a 4-0 rout with a great piece of improvisation. It was an encouraging result that restored a bit of momentum and in our next game we reached Wembley when a very late Havertz goal took us through against Chelsea after an attritional semi-final second leg.  Our defensive solidity had rarely been threatened by \u2018Linked In Liam\u2019s\u2019 boys and a few pundits started unwise talk of a quadruple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our next performance where we took care of a very decent Sunderland side underlined the strength of the squad. Zubimendi continued his useful habit of scoring goals with the first and a Gy\u00f6keres double highlighted the increasing impact he was having upfront . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difficulty of contesting so many London derbies was underlined by Arsenal\u2019s match at Brentford, one of the most improved sides in the league. A fiercely contested game appeared to be heading Arsenal\u2019s way when Madueke gave us the lead with a spring-heeled header but we struggled with Kayode\u2019s long throws throughout the game and Lewis- Potter latched onto one to equalise. Two more points were dropped, albeit against a side with genuine aspirations of playing in Europe and one of the success stories of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FA Cup continued with a fourth round tie against Wigan at home. The result was done and dusted by the 28th minute by which time we led 4-0. Madueke, Martinelli, a Hunt own goal and a delightful Jesus finish saw us through to a fifth round tie away to Mansfield Town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving to a meeting before we played Wolves, I heard Stuart Pearce claim there would be no chance of an upset at Molineux that evening. When the meeting finished we led 2-0 through Saka and Hincapi\u00e9 but a Bueno goal and a late Calafiori own goal after a misunderstanding with Raya saw us give away two more precious points, very unnecessarily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That concession on a frantic night in the Midlands was not ideal preparation for a North London Derby at the Armitage Shanks but  Spurs in their wisdom had brought in Igor Tudor, a forbidding figure with no experienhce of English football. Arsenal steamrollered the Spuds for the fourth successive time in their own stadium. Eze continued to be their Nemesis with two goals and Gy\u00f6keres also collected two goals in a barnstorming performance. Tudor looked a peculiar and ill- judged appointment but one that typified the inability to plan and recruit intelligently at the Lane.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea and \u2018Linked in Liam\u2019 returned to N5 to play us in the league and gave us a very tough game. Saliba put us ahead from a corner but an unfortunate Hincapi\u00e9 own goal brought them  level on halftime before Jurrien Timber forced in a corner in the second half to clinch victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brighton proved stiff opponents at the Amex in our next game but an early Saka goal which owed a great deal to a significant deflection was enough to give us victory thanks to a great defensive performance. Our victory did not go down well with Fabian Hurzeler who betrayed his youth with an immaturity that Arsenal fans find particularly galling. He criticised our approach to football, but Arsenal fans who witnessed the cynicism and downright deceit from his side in their match at Arsenal last season had little sympathy. Hurzeler later recanted his remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attention switched to Mansfield in the FA Cup. Arteta rotated his side giving starts to Dowman and Marli Salmon. Madueke gave us the lead with a spectacular strike in the first half but Mansfield drew level after an under-hit pass from Salmon. Eze showed his explosive quality with a blistering shot that clinched victory in the second half. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Everton match at the Emirates  was one of the most memorable played during the season and climaxed with a very special moment that nobody who was there will ever forget . Everton were organised, obdurate and resisted everything Arsenal threw at them until Arteta turned to Dowman as a substitute. With two minutes left his brilliant, swinging cross deceived Pickford, bounced off Hincapi\u00e9\u2019s groin and Gy\u00f6keres tapped home. Then, in the last minute of injury time, Everton earned a corner. Jordan Pickford, their keeper, was waved forward but Gy\u00f6keres headed the ball clear, Dowman seized on it, beat two defenders and careered forward. It was obvious from a long way back that he possessed the pace, ability and composure to run the ball home to guarantee a vital victory. The 16 year old Hale Ender slotted home triumphantly for his first Premier League goal, the youngest player ever to do this. It was perhaps the most thrilling individual moment of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theoretically, we were well set up for the Carabao Cup Final which followed a week later but this was to be emphatically Man City\u2019s day, secured by two second half headers by Nico O\u2019 Reilly. Kepa gifted City their first goal but this was one of those days when the final just passed us by. So much for the Quadruple! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then moved on to Southampton for the FA Cup quarter final, a game in which we rotated significantly with Dowman starting in a number 10 role. Southampton had already begun a long unbeaten run and were very well organised. They were significantly stronger than the side we played in the last game of the 24\/25 season and opened the scoring through Stewart. Gy\u00f6keres came on on as a substitute and steered home a neat equaliser but, with the game heading for extra time, Southampton snatched the tie with a clever finish from Shea Charles. So much for the Treble!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal, freed from involvement in domestic cups, now had to narrow their focus onto the league to ensure that the deterioration in results did not escalate into a crisis. Unfortunately, Bournemouth, their next opponents, proved extremely uncooperative. Junior Kroupi gave them an early lead and although Gy\u00f6keres responded with a well taken penalty in the second half, Scott finished off a penetrative passing move and Arsenal could not get back into the game. With an away trip to Manchester City next up, Arsenal\u2019s title prospects were suddenly looking much gloomier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perversely, though Arsenal lost to Manchester City, the game at the Etihad signified a big uptick in morale and quality of performance. An early  Cherki goal was immediately cancelled out by Havertz who pounced on a Donnarumma mistake. Eze hit the post and Havertz headed a glorious Trossard cross just over, but a sharp Haaland finish in the second half gave City the points. As the final whistle blew, Declan Rice could be clearly seen asserting, \u201cThis is not done!” Was that a knee – jerk reaction or a genuine  statement of intent? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was generally felt that we had easier remaining fixtures than Manchester City. Effectively, we had a shootout over five matches. The first was a home match with the Barcodes. The crowd groaned, each time, as we tried a series of  short corners, ignoring our giant, goal-scoring defenders, but when Havertz fed Eze, who finished sublimely, the jeers turned to cheers. The rest of the game was a hard watch but Arsenal stayed defensively secure and secured three valuable points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It had been a dour struggle, but the following week, Fulham came to visit and were swept aside by an Arsenal side suddenly playing with confidence and a swagger. Gy\u00f6keres scored two first half goals and Saka combined with the Swede to put us three goals up at halftime. The mood among the  fans was transformed and although Arsenal did not improve their position in the second half, a 3-0 win was hugely appreciated by the fanbase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everton had held City to a draw which meant that if Arsenal won their last three games they would be champions. The trickiest fixture looked to be against West Ham at the London Stadium and the game was a hard fought derby struggle. Raya produced an incredible close range save from Fernandes before \u00d8degaard set up Trossard to put Arsenal ahead with only a few minutes left. West Ham piled on the pressure and appeared to have equalised through Callum Wilson only to see the goal rightly ruled out for two separate fouls on David Raya. Chris Kavanagh\u2019s announcement of the disallowed goal has become the stuff of memes and folklore but there is no doubt that this was a pivotal moment in the season. Arsenal\u2019s revival meant that City had no margin for error and their involvement in the FA Cup had pushed two matches into midweek slots which, given the league\u2019s insistence on a finish by the 24th May and Sky\u2019s wish to transmit every twist in the title race, increased the pressure on City despite their lack of involvement in European football after their exit to Real Madrid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This left us to overcome Burnley and to try, if possible, to improve our goal difference into the bargain. Kai Havertz opened the scoring in an inevitably tense game and while Burnley rarely threatened us it wasn\u2019t a comfortable watch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 1-0 win left us five points ahead and the following night Bournemouth took a tired looking City to the cleaners. A beautifully executed Kroupi goal threatened to start an avalanche but slack finishing by Bournemouth meant that City stayed in the game until the last minute when Haaland equalised. The final whistle at the Vitality produced a tidal wave of sound, an impromptu gathering of over 100,000 Gooners at the Emirates, and saw the title go to Arsenal – our first Premier League in twenty two years, as we have been persistently reminded this season. At least, that stick that has been regularly used to beat Arsenal, has been taken away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dramatic title denouement gave Palace and Arsenal the opportunity to rotate heavily before their respective European finals. Goals by Jesus and Madueke gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead which Mateta reduced in the dying minutes. Pino had an even later goal disallowed for offside and Arsenal were able to finish the season seven points ahead of second placed City. Arsenal players and fans exulted in the sunshine and the strains of \u2018North London Forever\u2019<\/em> rang around Selhurst Park. It was a perfect day, albeit we were celebrating on another club\u2019s soil. This made little difference to the euphoria on display. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been a magnificent performance by Arsenal despite the rollercoaster ride that had latterly ensued. Over the season, Arsenal dominated top spot. Defensive efficiency highlighted by a spectacular goalkeeper and superb holding midfielders made Arsenal incomparably the strongest defensive side. Injuries were again a huge problem but the squad strength so effectively supplemented by eight new signings gave Arteta the squad flexibility he had lacked in previous years. Raya, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba and Rice were all exceptional and we still have the promise of Dowman to fully enjoy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal had not done the double over any side in the top six but had not lost to any side below sixth and had played twelve London derbies and remained undefeated in all of them. That is a significant accolade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After three successive domestic runner-up placings which attracted the description \u2018bottlers\u2019,  this success makes it possible to reinterpret the data and  to plot a different trend and to believe that this hard-won triumph possibly  represents the start of a period of domination and domestic success for Arsenal, especially given the travails and disruption at some of their rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domestic success was effectively secured but Arsenal also had European ambitions which they pursued ferociously. In the third part of our season review we will examine how Arsenal coped with integrating Champions League football into their challenge for the League title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2026 arrived  with Arsenal top of the table but facing a daunting January schedule. The last game of 2025 had brought Aston Villa, a potential title rival, to North London. Villa had been the last team to beat Arsenal and had recent history of thwarting Arsenal\u2019s title ambitions. After a tight first half Arsenal broke […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13577"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13577"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13624,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13577\/revisions\/13624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}