Arsenal updates: A detailed look at their remaining fixtures of the season

Arsenal’s bid for a 14th league title—and their first in 21 years—has faded into disappointment this season, a stark contrast to the thrilling finishes of the previous two campaigns, where they were deep in the title fight until the final rounds.

Now trailing league leaders Liverpool by 15 points, the Gunners are instead focused on securing second place during what promises to be a difficult conclusion to the season.

While they maintain a solid position in the Champions League race with 67 points from 34 matches, their cushion isn’t yet unbreachable. They sit five points clear of third-placed Newcastle United, six ahead of reigning champions Manchester City, and seven above Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

The margin appears healthy, but with challenging fixtures ahead—including clashes against Liverpool and Newcastle and the decisive second leg against Paris Saint-Germain in Europe—Mikel Arteta must strike a delicate balance with his squad rotations. Any slip-up could quickly reduce the gap and jeopardise their second-place grip.

Here’s a detailed look at Arsenal’s fixtures in May.

Arsenal vs Bournemouth — Saturday 3rd May

Despite European commitments taking centre stage, Arsenal cannot afford even the slightest slip-up this weekend so fans with Arsenal tickets will be expecting a response from their team against Bournemouth after losing to PSG last time out.

Last weekend’s clash with Crystal Palace brought a 13th Premier League draw for the Gunners this season—only Everton (14) have registered more. Of those, nine have come after Arsenal initially took the lead, more than any other side in the division.

That trait nearly haunted them again in Tuesday’s Champions League thriller against PSG, as Mikel Merino’s equaliser was disallowed for offside before Ousmane Dembélé snatched the win. Still, the draw with Palace extended Arsenal’s unbeaten league run to eight games, and they’re now 18 matches unbeaten against top-half opposition—though eight of those ended all square.

Bournemouth, too, are familiar with letting leads slip—most recently against Manchester United, where Antoine Semenyo’s strike gave them a short-lived advantage before they were pegged back. Currently 10th, they sit one point behind Fulham and trail Aston Villa in seventh by seven, keeping their European hopes alive.

However, a solitary victory in their last eight across all competitions doesn’t inspire confidence—especially as they now visit a ground where Arsenal boast a perfect record, having won all eight home meetings against the Cherries.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Arsenal — Wednesday, 7th May

Arsenal make the trip to the Parc des Princes with their Champions League dreams hanging in the balance, trailing 1-0 after Ousmane Dembélé’s early strike in the first leg gave PSG a slender advantage.

The French giants aim to eliminate a third Premier League side on their path to a potential final. After a disappointing group-stage campaign forced them into the knockout play-offs, PSG demolished Brest 10-0 across two legs. Then, they recovered from a first-leg loss to Liverpool to edge through on penalties in the last 16. A nervy aggregate win over Aston Villa in the quarter-finals followed, where they nearly squandered a commanding position.

For Arsenal, with the Premier League title race effectively over and a top-five finish almost assured, Mikel Arteta’s side can thoroughly prioritise Europe. After topping their group and comfortably brushing past PSV 9-3 on aggregate in the last 16, the Gunners produced their most emphatic performance of the campaign by dismantling reigning champions Real Madrid 5-1 over two legs in the quarter-finals.

The Gunners will aim to draw inspiration from PSG’s comeback against Liverpool. They are firmly set on a first Champions League final since 2006.

Liverpool vs Arsenal — Sunday, 11th May

Arsenal will be desperate to avoid the ignominy of giving newly crowned champions Liverpool a guard of honour when they visit Anfield on Sunday, 11 May. This fixture arrives just days before their Champions League semi-final second leg away at Paris Saint-Germain.

With the league title now mathematically out of reach—Liverpool having sealed their first Premier League crown since 2020—the Gunners must shift their ambitions to cementing second place, where they currently sit five points clear of third-placed Newcastle United.

Juggling domestic and European commitments, Mikel Arteta faces a selection headache. Priorities are leaning towards Champions League glory after they eliminated Real Madrid emphatically in the previous round. The return leg against PSG is just days away, and a spot in the final is tantalisingly close.

Despite the pressure, Arsenal have found form at the perfect moment, going 12 games unbeaten in all competitions, with six ending in victory. Their most recent came in a commanding 4-0 win over Ipswich Town, as Leandro Trossard bagged a brace alongside goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri.

While eyes may be fixed on Paris, Arsenal cannot afford to slip at Anfield. Victory is crucial—not only to preserve pride but also to keep second place secure from encroaching rivals.

Arsenal vs Newcastle United — Sunday, 18th May

With only four games remaining, the race for a top-five finish is heating up—Arsenal must navigate another stern test as they welcome in-form Newcastle United to the Emirates on Sunday, 18 April.

The Magpies, who have won four of their last five league outings—losing only to Aston Villa—are gaining momentum at the business end of the campaign. Five points behind Arsenal, they’ll be eyeing a late surge, making it imperative for the Gunners to avoid slip-ups in their fixtures against Bournemouth and Liverpool if they are to hold onto second place.

A significant concern for fans with Arsenal vs Newcastle United tickets is their side’s recurring failure to convert leads into wins. Arsenal have let nine leads slip in the Premier League this term—more than in the previous two seasons combined—and are now on the brink of an unwanted club record. Never before have they failed to win 10 matches in a single season after going ahead.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have been electric since mid-December. No team has won more league matches in that span than the Magpies (14 in 19 games), and only Liverpool have scored more than their 46 goals in that period. They’ve already equalled their highest Premier League win tally (19) since 2002-03 and could make it 20 for the first time since Sir Bobby Robson’s era.

Eddie Howe’s attacking brand of football has produced 27 top-flight victories by margins of three goals or more since his arrival—second only to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in that stretch. Howe also holds the record for most three-goal margin wins by an English manager in Premier League history, with 38 stints at Bournemouth and Newcastle.

However, Arsenal will draw confidence from their superb record against top-half sides—unbeaten in their last 18 such games (ten wins, eight draws)—with all three league defeats coming against teams in the bottom half this season.

The form of Leandro Trossard will also buoy Arteta. The Belgian has netted four goals in his last four league appearances—matching his tally from the previous 31—and three of those goals have given Arsenal the lead, underlining his growing influence at a crucial point in the season.

Southampton vs Arsenal— Sunday, 25th May

Arsenal marked their 400th Premier League home win last October, defeating Southampton 3-1 in the first leg. They became only the second team after Manchester United (428) to hit that milestone.

Their dominance over the Saints at home has been unshakable—25 top-flight meetings at the Emirates or Highbury have yielded 17 wins and eight draws, making it the most one-sided home record in Premier League history without a single defeat.

As they prepare for the return fixture at St Mary’s on the final day, Arsenal will face a Southampton side already resigned to relegation. The Saints’ miserable campaign has seen them win just two league matches all season and become the first club to be relegated with seven games still to play—confirmed by their 3-1 loss at Tottenham on April 6, their 25th defeat of the season.

That result also placed them in ignominious company—they are just the third side in Premier League history to lose 25 of their opening 31 matches, after Sunderland in 2005/06 and Sheffield United in 2020/21.

It’s a far cry from their Championship heroics just a year ago, when a 22-game unbeaten run paved the way for promotion via the play-offs, culminating in victory over Leeds at Wembley.

Despite Southampton’s dismal form and multiple managerial changes this season, Arsenal cannot afford to approach the match lightly. The fight for a top-five Champions League spot remains tight going into the final day, with Chelsea also in action against Nottingham Forest. Any slip-up at this stage could see the Gunners drop crucial points and potentially drop down the pecking order.