Champions League upset, Premier League shock – Arsenal 2023/24 predictions

The 2023/24 Premier League season is finally here as Arsenal look to end Manchester City’s title dominance, while Mikel Arteta’s men also return to the Champions League.

It has been a long six years since Arsenal last featured in UEFA’s elite club competition under Arsene Wenger. But Mikel Arteta has led the Emirates Stadium team back to the Champions League, despite losing out in last term’s Premier League title fight and will now bid to win it.

Arsenal ran Manchester City to within five points of winning their first top-flight crown since the 2003/04 Invincibles season. They will now hope to mark the 20th anniversary of the title with another in 2023/24. But Arteta must end the three-year reign of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

A poor end to the term was costly for Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Premier League title in 2022/23. They only won three of their final nine matches. But the Gunners learnt from their errors in failing to finish in the top-four in 2021/22 to become the league’s second-best side.

Now, transfers for Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and the club-record arrival of Declan Rice give Arteta a side he hopes Arsenal can win the Premier League with. So, before Arsenal start the season against Nottingham Forest, here are our writers’ predictions for the 2023/24 term…

Kyle Archer

Arsenal started last season with aims of just getting back into the Champions League after a poor end to 2021/22. But Arteta’s squad exceeded the expectations and made the Emirates Stadium fanbase feel a first Premier League title since 2003/04 was finally possible again.

Now, the Gunners must handle the added pressure of being title contenders and learn from falling short in 2022/23. But predicting that Arsenal will win the Premier League title is still a bit far-fetched. Even with their new stars, the Gunners will struggle to stop Manchester City.

Arteta signing Declan Rice from West Ham United will give Arsenal a much stronger midfield throughout the season. Thomas Partey emerged as a pivotal player at Emirates Stadium last term. But the Ghanaian’s form fell off a cliff and helped to see the team’s title aims collapse.

Jurrien Timber joining from AFC Ajax will also offer Arsenal greater defensive depth after the back injury that William Saliba suffered destroyed their structure. But the Gunners remain a step behind Manchester City, who should become the first team to claim four-straight titles.

It is unlikely that Arsenal have much joy on their return to the Champions League, either. An appearance in the quarter-finals would mark the club’s first time exceeding the Round of 16 since 2009/10. They exited it during the last 16 in each campaign from 2010/11 to 2016/17.

Arteta should, at least, take Arsenal further in the domestic cups during 2023/24 than they managed in 2022/23. The Gunners bowed out of the Carabao Cup in the third round and of the FA Cup in the fourth round last season. But their extra depth should now bear rewards.

Emile Smith Rowe being available after his injury problems last term should also give Arteta a great boost this season. The 23-year-old can get his career back on track and recapture the attacking threat he showed after first breaking through. He also adds cover for various roles.

But one situation to watch out for in 2023/24 will be the fight over who starts at right-back. Timber’s arrival threatens Ben White’s place despite his supreme consistency last term. Yet the Dutchman’s arrival also hands Takehiro Tomiyasu a fight for his future at the Emirates.

The Japan international’s injury issues allowed White to make the full-back position his own. So, if Tomiyasu wants to be an Arsenal player after the 2023/24 season, he must now exceed all predictions. But another young prospect in Reuell Walters will want to have a say, as well.

Kyle’s predictions for Arsenal in 2023/24

Kyle’s predicted finishes for Arsenal in 2023/24

Rahul Lakhani

Gabriel Martinelli delivered some fantastic performances throughout the last campaign, and 15 league goals was no easy feat for the 21-year-old.

I expect him to increase his goal output even further and could end the season as the top league scorer, ahead of Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.

Martin Odegaard was heavily involved in terms of scoring last season. But with Granit Xhaka departing and Kai Havertz arriving, I predict that he will drop a bit deeper in his role, and therefore score less but create more in terms of assists.

Fabio Vieira earned mixed reviews following a difficult first season since his arrival from Porto. But the 23-year-old has looked stronger in pre-season and has shown flashes of his obvious talent. I think he has a big part to play throughout the season, particularly with the need for extra rotation, and he will start to flourish at Arsenal.

There are many top prospects within the academy and given the strong competition in the first-team, it seems unlikely that any will gain much of a chance in the Premier League.

However, the domestic cups could see a few prospects gain a breakthrough chance, and Myles Lewis-Skelly can follow Ethan Nwaneri into first-team prominence this season.

Jurrien Timber was arguably Arsenal’s best player in the Community Shield. And at £34m, rising to £38.5m after add-ons, he could be a bargain buy. The Dutchman’s versatility could make him very useful throughout the campaign. He was also incredibly impressive in pre-season. So, he could prove to be one of the signings of the summer.

Emile Smith Rowe missed most of last season with an injury. But he seems to have gained his fitness back over pre-season and many have forgotten just how good he is.

He faces a tough battle to earn a starting spot. But it will be interesting to see how he performs if given a fair chance to shine.

Although it’s hard to look beyond Manchester City as Champions, Arsenal can push them all the way again. With Guardiola’s side losing key players in Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, never say never when it comes to the title.

The first return to the Champions League will likely be a learning curve for this young squad. But Arsenal can definitely reach the late knockout stages as a minimum.

Winning one of the domestic cups will mean some silverware is brought home, and the FA Cup is historically Arsenal’s favourite trophy.

Rahul’s predictions for Arsenal in 2023/24

Rahul’s predicted finishes for Arsenal in 2023/24

Shamanth Jayaram

Arsenal are back in the Premier League on Saturday, and here are some of my unnecessarily bold predictions for the new season.

The Gunners came ever so close to winning the Premier League last season. We spent over two-thirds of the campaign on top of the table but key injuries ruined it in the end, and we finished second. Now, we have a much better squad and there’s no reason why we can’t win the Premier League title.

The Champions League, however, is a whole different ball game. Most of our players haven’t played in the competition before and that could potentially cause us some problems along the way. Of course, I’d love it if Arsenal won it. But I think we’ll make it as far as the quarter-finals. That wouldn’t be a bad achievement by any means.

As for the two domestic cups, I really don’t see us going all the way in the Carabao Cup. We haven’t won it since 1993. We never seem to be too bothered by it and I don’t think Mikel Arteta will worry too much about it again. The FA Cup, however, has to be prioritised. I think we’ll win it.

My big concern for the new season, apart from possible injuries, are the big expectations. We’re much better equipped to deal with the former but our squad is still very, very young. So, there is always a worry that the pressure could get to them.

Shamanth’s predictions for Arsenal in 2023/24

Shamanth’s predicted finishes for Arsenal in 2023/24

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