Arsenal are heading into the final month of the 2024/25 season with a familiar sense of despair.
Mikel Arteta’s side have found themselves on the wrong side of a title race that promised so much – and not for the first time.
After finishing second in each of the past two seasons, this term was meant to be different – a year to take that final step, break the title drought, and finally deliver on the promise of their recent progress.
Instead, the Gunners find themselves staring down another campaign of “what ifs.”
Liverpool have steamrolled to the title with clinical precision. However you want to put it, there’s no denying that the Reds are worthy champions. It’s Arsenal who have faltered when it mattered most.
Fans will buy Arsenal tickets from Seatsnet.com to watch their side give the newly crowned champions a guard of honour when they face off next month. A painful reminder of what could have been.
But the season isn’t over yet. There’s still plenty to play for in May.
Aside from finishing another disappointing league season with some dignity, the Gunners also have the Champions League title to fight for.
Getting past reigning champions Real Madrid has been the highlight so far, but they were dealt a harsh reality check in their own backyard when Paris Saint-Germain left the Emirates Stadium 1-0 winners.
It could have been more, but Arsenal are still in it.
The rematch in France will be a defining moment. The margins are thin, but an unlikely Champions League triumph will more than make up for their domestic mishap.
It would also send a massive statement ahead of next season. That said, here’s what’s left on Arsenal’s schedule for the 2024/25 season.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth
Arsenal raise the curtain on the new month with a home clash against a Bournemouth side still hoping to land a European spot.
A blistering surge between late November and mid-February placed the Cherries in the mix for Champions League football, but they’ve fallen off since.
Just one win in their last 11 games has seen Andoni Iraola’s side crash out of the FA Cup and plummet to 10th on the Premier League table.
Now seven points off the top seven, the Cherries visit Arsenal looking to halt their eight-match unbeaten streak in the league.
Arsenal have only won three of those eight games (D5), but it helps that they have a sparkling record against the Cherries if you overlook their 2-0 defeat at the Vitality Stadium back in October.
Before that defeat, they had gone eight games unbeaten against the Cherries, including a four-match winning streak by a combined scoreline of 13-2.
PSG vs Arsenal
Arsenal visit Parc des Princes for their Champions League semi-final tie decider against PSG. The in-form Ousmane Dembele was the difference at the Emirates, but it could have been more.
Arteta’s side also had their chances, but Gianluigi Donnarumma was unplayable on the night. He made fantastic saves to deny Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, among others.
PSG would need him to replicate that form on home turf. But having gotten a taste of what the French champions are about, Arsenal would also fancy their chances.
At 1-0, the game is still delicately poised. A place in the final is still up for grabs. Arsenal’s entire season could come down to their rematch against PSG.
It would be interesting to see if the Gunners can pull off a comeback to mark their first appearance in the Champions League final in nearly two decades.
Liverpool vs Arsenal
After their bout with the French champions, Arsenal return to domestic duties to take on familiar foes.
Liverpool will undoubtedly still be in a party mood when these two sides square off, but it’s a chance for both sides to make a statement.
For the Reds, they’d be keen to throw down the gauntlet ahead of their title defence. For Arsenal, it’s a chance to save face after another anti-climactic season.
Arsenal have fallen short, and there’s no sugarcoating it. Their clash with Liverpool is less about the standings and more about salvaging their pride.
It’s also a chance to prove they’re still a team to be taken seriously ahead of next season. Luckily, they have a decent record against Liverpool, unbeaten in their last five meetings (W2, D5).
Both sides couldn’t be separated in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, playing out a 2-2 draw. On the flip side, Arsenal haven’t won at Anfield since September 2012 (D4, L7).
Arsenal vs Newcastle
Back-to-back battles with two different league champions should prepare Arsenal for a Premier League bout with Newcastle on home turf.
The Magpies are firmly in the mix for a top-five finish, and this game could make or break their season.
At the moment, they’re third on the log, five points adrift of Arsenal. But only two points separate them from sixth place Nottingham Forest and five if it stretches to Villa in seventh.
The last time Arsenal squared off with Newcastle, they came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline, courtesy of a 12th-minute strike from Alexander Isak.
In fairness, both teams have traded blows over their last four meetings. They’ve alternated between a win for either side – a run that started with a 2-0 victory for the Magpies in May 2022.
On paper, it’s Arsenal’s turn to get the nod. But with so much riding on this fixture, the Magpies will be keen to buck the trend with back-to-back wins against Arsenal for the first time in nearly three decades.
Southampton vs Arsenal
Arsenal will wrap up another disappointing Premier League season at the home of relegated Southampton, giving Arteta’s side the perfect platform to drop the curtain on a high.
The Saints have been one of the worst newcomers in Premier League history and are heading straight back down to the Championship.
Arsenal will look to take advantage and add to their points tally – although it may not be straightforward, considering they’ve only won one of their last four games against Southampton (D2, L1).
That win came in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, where goals from Kai Havertz, Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka, earned Arteta’s side a 3-1 comeback win after Cameron Archer’s 55th minute opener.
Southampton have the worst defensive record in the league, so there’s a decent chance complacency could kick in from Arsenal’s camp. It’s up to Arteta to make sure that doesn’t happen.
