From hunters to hunted: Arsenal ready to retain Premier League crown

In a rare achievement, Arsenal finally won the Premier League title after a 24-year drought, but history shows that retaining the crown is exceedingly challenging. Only three managers in England's cutthroat top flight have managed this feat: Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, and Pep Guardiola. Mikel Arteta, the current Arsenal manager, enters the 2026-27 season with the daunting task of becoming the fourth manager to retain the Premier League title.

Arteta, who is 44 years old and has been in charge of Arsenal for over 350 games, is still considered a relatively young manager. Despite the league's history of consuming champions quickly, Arteta's squad demonstrates they have the qualities and capacity to compete with any other team and prove their worth at the highest level.

Their recent success, including reaching the Champions League final, indicates that their domestic success is not an isolated incident but a testament to their potential in Europe's elite competition.

In an effort to strengthen their squad, Arsenal signed Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes for £75 million ($101.24 million). The Brazilian midfielder is a complete player who has proven his value in tough matches and is expected to ignite a different type of performance from his teammates. Other signings, such as Greece winger Christos Tzolis, have also impressed with their work rate.

With a newfound sense of stability and Arteta's leadership, Arsenal appears to have changed not only their standing in the league but their identity as well. They are no longer chasing the standard but are now setting it, setting the stage for a potential title defense in the upcoming season.