Arsenal have brought the curtain down on a challenging and difficult campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side had high hopes of ending their 21-year wait for a Premier League title and securing a maiden Champions League triumph but ended up missing out on a trophy altogether.
Arsenal’s injury crisis this season was a huge factor that affected their progress and despite efforts to sign Ollie Watkins in January, fans were furious with the owners over a lack of transfer ambition shown.
Andrea Berta has been brought to the Emirates Stadium to provide the resources required to hunt down silverware next season but what mistakes can the manager learn from? Arsenal Insider looks at three errors Arteta made during the 2024-25 campaign.
Three decisions Mikel Arteta got wrong at Arsenal this season
Mikel Arteta has too much reliance on Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka was one of the long-term injury absentees that hampered the Gunners’ progress this season but there is a lesson to be learned for Arteta moving forward over the Hale End star’s future.
Arsenal have agreed a new contract with Saka according to reports but must manage his workload better next season to avoid another serious muscular injury.
Saka was used far too often in the opening months of the season, even being played in Carabao Cup ties against lower league opposition and whilst he is Arsenal’s most important player, he needs a rest at times.
Arsenal are hoping to sign one or two wingers this summer and that will help with rotating Saka in and out of the team but if Saka is to deliver his promise to the fans, his workload management needs improving.
Mikel Arteta did not trust Ethan Nwaneri soon enough
When Martin Odegaard suffered an ankle injury whilst playing for Norway in September, it left the Gunners without their skipper and most creative force for two months.
Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz were among the options used in the number ten position but Arteta’s side went through a spell where creating chances and scoring goals was a real problem.
A period at the end of October and beginning of November saw the Gunners drop points in the league against Bournemouth, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle, whilst losing to Inter Milan in Europe.
Ethan Nwaneri was ready and waiting to fill the void and proved with performances during the rest of the campaign that he was more than capable of stepping up.
Nwaneri’s Arsenal future is in doubt over concerns of his pathway to the first-team and Arteta’s decision at the start of the season would have only added to the youngster’s worries.
| Ethan Nwaneri’s Arsenal record this season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Nwaneri | 37 | 9 | 2 |
Mikel Arteta’s transfer ‘flop’ in signing Raheem Sterling
Arsenal needed a number nine last summer. Arsenal still need a number nine this summer. The answer from Arteta and Edu Gaspar was pretty desperate on deadline day back as they brought Raheem Sterling to North London.
Sterling’s comments upon joining Arsenal were bold and he claimed that the world was ‘about to see the best of me’ however, his move has not worked out at all.
Arsenal fans mocked Sterling during the final game of the season and his confidence must now be at rock bottom following what has been at times, a humiliating campaign for him after being labelled a ‘flop’.
Yet, there is a sense of unjust towards Sterling’s treatment this season that he may have been bearing the brunt of frustration over Arsenal’s inability to fix what needed fixing.
It wasn’t Sterling’s fault that the Gunners neglected the need for a striker in both windows this season and now Arteta must right the wrongs of the past by signing that world-class forward this summer.
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