Mikel Arteta will already be firmly focused on the 2025/26 campaign after Arsenal’s testing season.
For the third consecutive season, the Gunners finished second in the Premier League table and missed out on claiming silverware.
Though Arsenal strengthened their European status in the Champions League by reaching the semi-final, the missing piece to Arteta’s puzzle still had not been found.
There’s building pressure on Arteta to deliver trophies at Arsenal, adding emphasis to the need to recruit over the summer sufficiently, particularly after the punishing lessons of last season.
Bukayo Saka’s injury at Arsenal was overlooked
Arsenal’s injury record was abysmal in 2024/25, handing Arteta the task of pushing for silverware without his key players at his disposal.
Three first-team players underwent surgery on their hamstrings, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes and Bukayo Saka going under the knife.
Saka’s injury sustained against Crystal Palace in December was arguably the most punishing of them all, not only for Arsenal but for the player himself.
Before his time on the sidelines, the England international was one of the most in-form players in the Premier League, setting himself up for a potentially record-breaking season on the goal contributions front.
Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne hold the record for the most assists in a Premier League season with 20, and given that Saka had racked up 11 by matchday 13, the Arsenal legend might have been sweating over his feat.
This emphasises the disappointment of the 2024/25 campaign for both the Gunners and their star winger, as before his absence, few players were performing at a higher level.
Saka had recorded 16 Premier League goal contributions by the time of his injury on week 17, bringing his remarkable form to a screeching halt.
Though Arsenal’s injury record as a whole has been spoken about heavily over the 2024/25 calendar, the impact Saka’s layoff had on his individual campaign has not earned sufficient airtime.
Saka’s record after his injury speaks volumes
As mentioned, Saka contributed to 16 goals in the league before the turn of the year, scoring five times and assisting 11.
After the winger’s hamstring surgery and rehabilitation, the Englishman returned for the final eight games of the Premier League schedule, but his earlier form was untraceable in front of goal.
| Before injury | After injury | |
| Goals | 5 | 1 |
| Assists | 11 | 0 |
From matchday 30 to matchday 38, Saka contributed to just one goal in the league, as his campaign ended in an unfulfilled manner.
Next season is one for Arsenal to waste no time in grabbing a firm hold of, and the same goes for Saka, who will be desperate to showcase his status as one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents.
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