Arsenal’s title challenge has followed a familiar script in recent years: fast starts, fluid football, strong defensive numbers, and enough early momentum to place them firmly in the Premier League’s elite conversation.
But then comes the November international break – and with it, the decline.
What should be a routine restart has repeatedly become the point where Arsenal’s rhythm fades, their confidence stutters, and crucial points slip away.
A Familiar Pattern That Threatens Arsenal’s Title Challenge
Across the last three seasons, the Gunners have entered the break in strong positions, often within touching distance of the league leaders. Yet the period immediately afterwards (the second third of the season) has consistently exposed a lack of stability. Whether through lapses in concentration or a failure to capitalise when rivals dropped points, this stretch has been decisive in preventing Arsenal from turning promise into a true title-winning push.
As this year’s November break concludes and the Premier League returns, the question carries new weight: will Arsenal fall into the same pattern again, or has the squad finally outgrown its old habits?
With greater depth, sharper tactical cohesion, and fewer structural weaknesses than the Arsenal teams of previous seasons, the excuses of the past no longer apply. And as the fixtures resume, the first test will reveal something crucial – how seriously Arsenal should be taken this season.
The 2023/2024 season remains the clearest example of the mid-season slump that has consistently derailed Arsenal. They entered the November international break in a strong league position, just one point behind the leaders – the kind of platform that should have strengthened Arsenal’s title challenge rather than compromised it.
Their first few matches back from the break went well, but what followed exposed the same weaknesses that have plagued them for years. Between Matchday 16 and Matchday 20, Arsenal collected only four points from a possible fifteen, a collapse that halted their momentum entirely.
Costly defeats to Aston Villa, West Ham, and Fulham, along with a draining draw at Anfield, uncovered deeper issues: fatigue in key players, emerging injuries, and a lack of reliable depth to maintain the team’s structure.
By the time the slump ended, Arsenal had fallen from a strong top-three position to fourth place, suddenly chasing Liverpool, Manchester City, and even Aston Villa. It was a harsh reminder of how quickly Arsenal’s title challenge can unravel during this part of the season – and why this year’s post-break stretch holds even greater significance.
Where Stability Must Finally Meet Expectation
Suppose there was ever a season where Arsenal could not afford another post-November slump. In that case, it is this one – because the Premier League landscape has tilted in their favour more than at any other time under Arteta.
Unlike previous years, Arsenal enter this stage as arguably the most stable team among the contenders. Their tactical identity is clear, refined, and battle-tested.
Manchester City aren’t the team we used to know, and Liverpool is adjusting to a new philosophy under Arne Slot with a freshly rebuilt core.
In contrast, Arsenal already know who they are – and that clarity strengthens Arsenal’s title challenge more than any statistical metric could.
Depth has also transformed this team. The issues that crippled previous seasons, from fatigue to over-reliance on a handful of players, no longer hold the same power. Nearly every key position now has a like-for-like replacement. The squad’s floor has risen significantly, allowing Arteta to rotate without sacrificing structure.
Combine that with missteps from their rivals, and the message is simple: there can be no excuses this time. The return from the international break is not just another checkpoint – it’s the moment that determines whether Arsenal’s title challenge is legitimate or merely a familiar hope.
Why This Squad Is Finally Built To Sustain Arsenal’s Title Challenge
What truly separates this Arsenal from the teams that fell short in previous seasons is the structural balance of the squad – a level of insulation they haven’t had in almost two decades.
While the supposed “November curse” has already struck again, with three defenders (Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, and Gabriel Magalhães) picking up issues during the break, Arsenal’s squad is finally strong enough to absorb these blows. And when you add these fresh concerns to the pre-existing injury list – Viktor Gyökeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and Martin Ødegaard – it becomes even clearer how impressively equipped this squad now is to withstand turbulence.
In earlier seasons, losing even one key player could completely distort Arsenal’s rhythm. That is no longer the case. Ødegaard’s injury early in the 2024/2025 season, which once would have derailed their creativity, now has a direct solution: the arrival of Eberechi Eze. His ability to drop between lines, dictate tempo, and carry attacking weight ensures Arsenal’s title challenge does not depend on one creator.
Bukayo Saka – who has carried a brutal workload for three consecutive years – finally has meaningful relief in Noni Madueke, a winger who can start major matches without lowering the team’s level or tactical identity.
Even the striker department, previously a consistent weakness, is transformed. With Viktor Gyökeres added and the emergence of Moreno as a capable system fit, Arsenal no longer face a crisis even if all three main forwards – Gabriel Jesus, Havertz, and Gyökeres – are unavailable at once.
This is a squad built to survive disruption, remain tactically coherent, and continue performing even under injury pressure – something that could never be said about past Arsenal sides. And with Manchester City inconsistent and Liverpool undergoing an identity shift under Arne Slot, the timing could not be more favourable.
Despite the bit of turbulence they now face, Arsenal’s title challenge could not be more sturdy than it is right now.
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Conclusion
For all the tactical shifts, squad improvements, and lessons from previous failures, one truth remains: Arsenal can no longer hide behind old explanations. This season is no longer about whether they can compete – it is about whether they are finally ready to become the team that lifts the title.
The weeks following the November international break will not only test their fitness or form. They will test their evolution.
This time, they are obligated to defy a period that has haunted them in the past. Not just because the past demands redemption, but because the present finally equips them to deliver it.
This time, Arsenal’s title challenge must become something real.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Action Plus
Recording Date: 08.11.2025
