Background

The 2022–23 campaign was a breakthrough season for Arsenal.^[3] Their primary goal at the start of the campaign was to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.^[4] At the halfway stage of the league season, the Gunners recorded their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign with 16 wins, two draws, one loss and 50 points from the first 19 games.^[3] Arsenal led the league for a long time, but ultimately their challenge collapsed, as they collected just twelve points from their final nine matches (three wins, three draws and three losses).^[3] Mikel Arteta's side finished second in the Premier League, returning to Champions League football for the first time since the 2016–17 season.^[4]

Arsenal were the second-youngest team in the 2022–23 Premier League with an average starting age of 25 years and 52 days, eleven days older than relegated Southampton, and two years and 201 days younger than champions Manchester City.^[5] Four first-team players who were aged 24 or under on 1 July 2022 – Gabriel Magalhães, Gabriel Martinelli, Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka – signed new long-term contracts with the club during the campaign.^[6]

Pre-season

It was reported on 3 July 2023 that some first-team players who were not in action for their respective countries since the end of the last campaign were back to the London Colney training ground for pre-season training.^[7]

Arsenal announced on 6 July that English forward and academy graduate Reiss Nelson had signed a new long-term contract.^[8][9] On the same day it was confirmed that first-team assistant coach Steve Round, who joined Arteta's coaching staff in December 2019, left the club by mutual agreement.^[10][11]

On 7 July, the Gunners announced that French defender William Saliba had penned a new long-term contract,^[12] and would wear the number 2 shirt from the 2023–24 season.^[13] On the same day, it was reported that Arsenal's head of sports medicine and performance, Dr Gary O'Driscoll who joined the north London side in 2009, would depart the club in late summer 2023.^[14]

Two days later, Arteta's side travelled to Germany for a mini training camp at Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach.^[15][16] Three academy players – Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Reuell Walters – were with the first-team squad.^[17]

The Gunners faced 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg at Max-Morlock-Stadion in Nuremberg on 13 July. Saliba recovered from a back injury that had ruled him out of Arsenal's final eleven matches of the last campaign to return to the starting line-up.^[18] Saka scored a goal on 7 minutes; but the Gunners were unable to double the lead, and an own goal from Jorginho in the second half ensured that the hosts claimed a 1–1 draw. The game also saw new signing and Germany international Kai Havertz make his non-competitive debut for Arsenal as a substitute at the break.^[19][20] They returned to England on the next day.

On 16 July, manager Arteta named a 29-man squad for the trip to the United States where they would play three more friendlies. The 18-year-old forward Amario Cozier-Duberry was the only academy player to travel with the first team to the US.^[21]

Three days later, Arsenal faced Major League Soccer's All-Stars at Audi Field in Washington. Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a chip over the goalkeeper. The Gunners doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute as Leandro Trossard launched home a blast from 20 yards. Two minutes after the restart, Jorginho scored a third from the penalty spot. New signings Declan Rice and Jurriën Timber made their non-competitive debuts for the club on 65 minutes. With 6 minutes remaining, Martinelli netted a fourth after being played through by captain Martin Ødegaard. Havertz collected a cross at the back post and lashed home a volley in the 89th minute, making the score 5–0.^[22][23][24]

The Gunners took on Premier League side Manchester United at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on 22 July. Bruno Fernandes scored for United on 30 minutes with a long-range effort, although Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale could have done better. United's lead was doubled in the 37th minute as Jadon Sancho pounced on Gabriel Magalhães' missed clearance, raced goalwards and finished past Ramsdale. The friendly also featured a post-match penalty shootout. The Gunners lost that too after Fábio Vieira skied his effort over the crossbar.^[25][26][27]

On 26 July, the club played their third and final game of the 10-day USA tour against La Liga side Barcelona at SoFi Stadium, the home of the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams which is also owned by Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. Barcelona took the lead on 7 minutes through Robert Lewandowski tucking in the rebound from Raphinha's shot. Saka levelled for the Gunners in the 13th minute with a close-range finish. Arsenal were awarded a penalty on 21 minutes, but Saka side-footed his effort wide of the right-hand post. Barcelona retook the lead through a deflected Raphinha free-kick in the 34th minute. Arteta's side drew level again on 43 minutes as Ødegaard's header was diverted home by Havertz.^[28][29][30] Trossard put the Gunners ahead in the 55th minute with a left-footed strike, then added his second with a first-time finish on 78 minutes. Ferran Torres pulled one back for Barcelona on 88 minutes. Just a minute later, Vieira curled a shot from 25 yards into the top left corner, helping the Gunners win 5–3.^[29][30] Arteta's team flew back to London straight after the game.^[28]

On 28 July, Arsenal unveiled a bronze statue of legendary former manager Arsène Wenger outside the North Bank Stand of Emirates Stadium. The statue, created by sculptor Jim Guy, is 3.5 metres (11 feet 6 inches) high, and depicts Wenger lifting the Premier League trophy. He joined five other Arsenal legends with statues outside the stadium: Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Herbert Chapman, Ken Friar and Thierry Henry.^[31][32]

The Gunners finished their pre-season campaign by beating Ligue 1 side Monaco 5–4 on penalties following a 1–1 draw at home to claim the 2023 Emirates Cup on 2 August. Youssouf Fofana scored for the visitors after the half-hour mark. Arsenal levelled in the 43rd minute when Eddie Nketiah converted a Martinelli corner at the back post. There were no further goals in the second half, and the game went to a penalty shootout. Gabriel Magalhães netted the winning spot-kick after Ramsdale saved Takumi Minamino's effort.^[33][34][35] In the post-match press conference, Arteta confirmed that Gabriel Jesus had "some discomfort" in his right knee for the past few weeks and had undergone surgery to the knee. He would be out for a few weeks.^[34][36]

First-team transfers (summer transfer window)

The English football summer transfer window ran from 14 June to 1 September 2023.^[37] The Gunners confirmed on 16 June that they were to release thirteen players,^[38] one of whom, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, had made 132 appearances for Arsenal's first-team in all competitions.^[39]

Havertz playing for Chelsea in 2020

Arsenal announced their first signing of the summer on 28 June with 24-year-old Germany international Kai Havertz joining the club on a long-term contract from Premier League side Chelsea,^[40] for a reported fee of £62 million plus £3 million in add-ons.^[41] He would wear the number 29 shirt,^[42] and would be the twelfth German player to play for Arsenal's first team.^[43] Having graduated from Bayer Leverkusen's youth academy in 2016, Havertz made his senior debut with the club at the same year, becoming the club's youngest-ever debutant in the Bundesliga at 17 years and 126 days.^[42] He also became their youngest-ever goalscorer in the league in 2017.^[42] With the ability to play in several attacking positions, Havertz had made 139 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring 32 goals and providing 15 assists,^[41] including hitting the winner in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final.^[40] As of June 2023, Havertz had netted 13 goals in 37 appearances for his country.^[40]

On 30 June, the Gunners confirmed that Spanish defender Pablo Marí, who had spent the entire last season on loan with Serie A side Monza, joined the Italian team on a permanent transfer,^[44][45] for a previously agreed fee reported to be €7 million (£6 million).^[46]

It was announced on 6 July that Swiss midfielder and Arsenal's vice-captain Granit Xhaka,^[47] who had made 297 appearances in all competitions and won two FA Cups with the club, joined Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent transfer for a reported fee of €25 million (£21.4 million).^[48][49]

Timber playing for Ajax in April 2023

On 14 July, the Gunners confirmed that they had signed 22-year-old Dutch defender Jurriën Timber from Eredivisie side Ajax.^[50] The transfer fee was reported to be worth an initial £34.3 million (€40 million), which could rise to £38.6 million (€45 million) with add-ons.^[51][52] He was assigned the number 12 shirt,^[53] and would be the eighth Dutch player to feature for Arsenal's first team.^[54] Timber is a graduate of Ajax Youth Academy, making his debut for the first team in 2020.^[52] A versatile defender, he was capable of playing both as a centre-back and as a right-back during his time with the Dutch side.^[50] Timber had made 121 senior appearances for Ajax in all competitions, winning two league titles and a Dutch Cup.^[52] He had 15 caps for the Netherlands and started four of their matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.^[50] Timber has been an Arsenal fan since he was a child.^[50][55]

Rice warming up for West Ham United in 2021

Arsenal announced on 15 July that 24-year-old English midfielder Declan Rice had joined the club from Premier League side West Ham United on a long-term contract,^[56][57] and would wear the number 41 shirt.^[58][59] It was reported that the transfer fee was an initial £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons,^[56][57] breaking Arsenal's transfer record fee paid for a player by £33 million,^[60] and making him the most expensive English player^[57] – the initial fee equalling the previous record held by Jack Grealish.^[56] Born and raised in London, Rice joined West Ham United's academy in 2014 following his release from Chelsea's academy.^[56] He had made 245 senior appearances for the Hammers in all competitions since making his debut in 2017.^[57] Rice was appointed as club captain in May 2022,^[58] then led West Ham United to the Europa Conference League title in June 2023,^[57] and was named the tournament's Player of the Season by UEFA.^[61] As of July 2023, he had made 43 appearances for England.^[58]

The departures of three first-team players were announced afterwards. On 3 August, the Gunners confirmed that American defender Auston Trusty had joined Premier League side Sheffield United on a permanent deal for a reported fee of £5 million.^[62][63] Six days later, the club announced that American goalkeeper Matt Turner had joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest on a permanent transfer for a fee reported to be £10 million.^[64][65] It was confirmed on 12 August that Brazilian forward Marquinhos had joined Ligue 1 side Nantes on a one-year loan.^[66]

Raya playing for Brentford in 2021

Arsenal confirmed on 15 August that the club had signed 27-year-old Spanish goalkeeper David Raya on a season-long loan from Premier League side Brentford with the option to make the move permanent in summer 2024.^[67][68] The initial loan fee was reported to be £3 million, and activating the option would be for a further £27 million.^[69] He would take the number 22 shirt.^[67] Born in Barcelona, Raya began his career in his native Spain and combined goalkeeping with playing as an outfield player in futsal.^[70] He later played youth football for a local club Cornellà,^[71] before moving to England in 2012 when he signed for Blackburn Rovers as an academy player.^[70] After making 108 senior appearances for Rovers, Raya joined then Championship side Brentford in 2019.^[68] He was a key part of the team that was promoted to the Premier League in 2021.^[67] With the passing ability to play out from the back,^[71] Raya made 161 appearances for the Bees in all competitions.^[67] He played in all 38 of their Premier League games last season,^[71] keeping 11 clean sheets.^[67] Raya made his international debut for Spain in 2022, and was in both their 2022 World Cup squad and the one that won the 2023 UEFA Nations League final.^[68]

The Gunners continued their summer exodus after signing four players. On 18 August, the club announced the loan departure of Icelandic goalkeeper Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson to Championship side Cardiff City.^[72] Nine days later, Arsenal confirmed that Scottish defender Kieran Tierney had joined La Liga side Real Sociedad on loan for the 2023–24 season;^[73] the loan fee was reported to be around £1.2 million (€1.4 million).^[74] The departure of American striker and Arsenal academy graduate Folarin Balogun to Ligue 1 side Monaco was announced on 30 August.^[75][76] It was reported that the transfer fee was an initial €30 million (£25.8 million) plus €10 million (£8.6 million) in add-ons, and the terms of the deal included a 17.5% sell-on clause for Arsenal.^[77]

On English transfer deadline day, 1 September, four first-team players departed the club. Portuguese defender Nuno Tavares joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan with the option to make the move permanent in summer 2024;^[78][79] the initial loan fee was reported to be £1 million, and activating the option would be for a further £12 million.^[79] English goalkeeper and academy graduate Arthur Okonkwo joined League Two side Wrexham on loan for the 2023–24 season.^[80] English defender Rob Holding, who had made 162 first-team appearances in all competitions and won two FA Cups with the club, joined Premier League side Crystal Palace on a permanent transfer,^[81] for a reported fee of £1 million with £2.5 million in add-ons.^[82] Belgian midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga joined Premier League side Luton Town on a one-year loan.^[83]

On 9 September, Arsenal confirmed that Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pépé had departed the club following the termination of his contract.^[84]

After the summer transfer window closed, there were twenty-five players in the first-team squad: three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders, and six forwards. Six other first-team players were out on loan.^[85]

August

Ramsdale

Saliba

Gabriel

White

Timber

Partey

Rice

Saka

Martinelli

Ødegaard (c)

Havertz

Starting line-up for the 2023 FA Community Shield against Manchester City on 6 August^[86]

Arsenal kicked off their season by taking part in the FA Community Shield for the 24th time in their history, against Treble-winners Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on 6 August. New signings Havertz, Rice and Timber made their competitive debuts for the Gunners. City's Cole Palmer broke the deadlock on 77 minutes, curling a shot into the top corner. Trossard equalised for Arsenal in the 11th minute of stoppage time when his shot deflected into the back of the net. The game ended 1–1 in normal time and went straight to a penalty shootout. The Gunners prevailed 4–1 from the spot with Vieira scoring the winning penalty, after Kevin De Bruyne's drive hit the crossbar and Rodri's attempt was saved by Ramsdale.^[86][87] This was Arsenal's 17th Community Shield win, making them the second-most successful club in the competition.^[88] The result meant that Arteta's side ended an eight-match losing run in all competitions against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, beating them for the first time since July 2020.^[89]

Six days later, the Gunners played their first home game of the season against Nottingham Forest. Nketiah opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a slightly deflected shot assisted by Martinelli. Arteta's side doubled their lead on 32 minutes when Saka cut inside and arrowed a long-range screamer into the top corner. In the 82nd minute, Taiwo Awoniyi pulled a goal back for the visitors from a counter-attack.^[90] The game also saw Premier League debutant Timber limp off the pitch with a injury on 50 minutes.^[91] Arsenal confirmed on 16 August that Timber had sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He would undergo surgery in the coming days. The club did not give a timeframe for his absence.^[92][93]

Arsenal faced Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 21 August. Before the game, the team paid tribute to the injured Timber, as skipper Ødegaard held up a shirt for the team photo, which read "J. Timber 12" on the back.^[94] Ødegaard stroked home a spot-kick in the 53rd minute, after Nketiah was brought down by goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. Takehiro Tomiyasu was controversially sent off by referee David Coote on 67 minutes for two quick bookable offences – the first yellow was for delaying a throw-in, and the second was harshly awarded for a minor foul on Palace's Jordan Ayew in midfield. Despite playing the final half-hour with ten men, Arteta's side claimed a hard-fought 1–0 victory.^[95] The win clocked up the Gunners' 200th Premier League away clean sheet, making them the third side to do so.^[96]

On 26 August, Arteta's team played at home against Fulham. Gabriel Jesus recovered from his knee injury to be named in a matchday squad for the first time;^[97] and Saka made his 83rd consecutive Premier League appearance for the Gunners, breaking the club record in the competition set by Paul Merson between 1995 and 1997.^[98] Arteta's side fell behind after just 57 seconds, as Andreas Pereira raced onto Saka's loose pass and fired in a curling shot from 25 yards, with goalkeeper Ramsdale out of position.^[99] This meant that Arsenal had conceded inside the first minute in three of their last nine Premier League games at home (vs Bournemouth, Southampton and Fulham), becoming the first team in Premier League history to concede a first-minute goal three times in a single calendar year.^[100] Saka atoned for his earlier error by scoring a penalty on 70 minutes. Moments later, substitute Nketiah tucked home a Vieira cross to put the hosts ahead. After blocking off Nketiah on a counter, Calvin Bassey was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 83rd minute. Fulham's João Palhinha scored the equaliser from a corner on 87 minutes, making the score 2–2.^[99]

September

Ramsdale

Saliba

Gabriel

White

Zinchenko

Rice

Ødegaard (c)

Havertz

Saka

Martinelli

Nketiah

Starting line-up for the Premier League home match against Manchester United on 3 September 2023^[101]

Ahead of the first international break of the season, Arsenal played at home against rivals Manchester United on 3 September. The visitors took the lead on 27 minutes as Marcus Rashford cut inside to beat Ramsdale at his far post with a curling strike.^[101] Rashford's goal meant that Arsenal had conceded from the first shot they had faced in seven Premier League matches in 2023 – the most of any team in this period.^[102] Arteta's side responded in the 28th minute with a flowing move that ended with captain Ødegaard sweeping home from Martinelli's cutback.^[103] In the 59th minute, the Gunners were awarded a penalty, but the decision was overturned after referee Anthony Taylor checked the pitchside monitor.^[101] The visitors thought they had retaken the lead on 88 minutes when Alejandro Garnacho finished off a swift counter-attack, but a VAR check showed Gabriel Magalhães' sudden halting of his run was enough to catch Garnacho offside.^[104] In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Rice controlled a Saka corner at the far post and slammed home his first Arsenal goal to send Emirates wild.^[104] This goal on 95 minutes and 43 seconds was the latest winning goal ever scored in a Premier League fixture between the two rivals.^[102] Five minutes later, Vieira sprung forward on the counter, fed Gabriel Jesus and the Brazilian ran through on goal, cut away from a sliding Diogo Dalot and slotted the ball past goalkeeper André Onana, sealing a 3–1 victory.^[103] This was the first time the Gunners had won three consecutive home league games against the Red Devils since May 1991.^[102] In the post-match presser, Arteta confirmed that Thomas Partey had picked up an injury in training before the game and would be out for weeks.^[105]

Sixteen Arsenal first-team players (excluding players who were loaned out) were named in their respective countries' senior squads for international fixtures in September: Trossard (Belgium), Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães and Martinelli (Brazil), Nketiah, Ramsdale, Rice and Saka (England), Karl Hein (Estonia), Saliba (France), Havertz (Germany), Tomiyasu (Japan), Ødegaard (as Norway's captain), Jakub Kiwior (Poland), Raya (Spain), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine).^[106] This was the first time for Nketiah to be called up to the England senior team.^[107] Gabriel Magalhães made his senior debut for Brazil on 8 September 2023.^[108]

Following the season's first international break, the Gunners continued their Premier League campaign on 17 September, facing 18th-placed Everton away at Goodison Park. Debutant David Raya started in goal and kept his first clean sheet for Arsenal in a 1–0 win. In the 69th minute, Trossard fired a first-time finish in off the post from Saka's cutback following a short corner. The result saw the Gunners' five-game winless run at Goodison Park in the Premier League come to an end.^[109][110]

Raya

Saliba

Gabriel

White

Zinchenko

Rice

Ødegaard (c)

Havertz

Saka

Trossard

Jesus

Starting line-up for the Champions League home match against PSV Eindhoven on 20 September 2023^[111]

After a six-year absence, Arsenal started their 20th Champions League campaign since the 1992–93 season as they played at home on 20 September in their opening Group B match against last season's Eredivisie runners-up PSV Eindhoven.^[111][112] Mohamed Elneny, who was the only player left from the Gunners' 2016–17 Champions League squad,^[113] was back on the bench for the first time since a serious knee injury in January 2023.^[114][115] Six of Arsenal's starting eleven – Raya, Rice, Saka, Saliba, Trossard and Ben White – made their debuts in the competition on a rain-soaked night.^[116] The hosts took the lead on 8 minutes through Saka tucking in the rebound from Ødegaard's shot. In the 20th minute, Gabriel Jesus led a counter-attack and played in Saka, who crossed for Trossard to blast the ball into the bottom corner. Eighteen minutes later, Trossard advanced on the left and crossed for Gabriel Jesus at the back post to fire a shot into the net. Ødegaard rounded off the scoring in the 70th minute with a 20-yard strike into the bottom right corner. The 4–0 victory marked Arteta's first Champions League game in charge.^[111][112]

On 22 September, the club announced that captain Ødegaard had signed a new long-term contract.^[117][118] Two days later, Arsenal faced local rivals Tottenham Hotspur at home in the first North London derby of the season. Already missing Timber to a long-term knee problem, the Gunners were also without Partey and had lost Martinelli and Trossard to injuries in a week before the game.^[119] In the 26th minute, Saka's shot was deflected into his own goal by Spurs defender Cristian Romero. Twelve minutes later Raya produced a diving save to deny Brennan Johnson. The visitors levelled through Son Heung-min in the 42nd minute. It continued a run of early-season injuries for Arteta's side, as Rice was forced off with a back issue and was replaced by Jorginho at half-time. Arsenal retook the lead on 54 minutes through a Saka penalty. Tottenham drew level again in the 55th minute as Jorginho was caught in possession by James Maddison, who slipped a pass into Son to finish past Raya. The game ended 2–2.^[120][121]

On 27 September, Arsenal entered the EFL Cup in the third round, facing Premier League side Brentford away at Brentford Community Stadium. Jorginho started as the Gunners' captain for the first time; Emile Smith Rowe made his 100th senior appearance for Arsenal, and his first start for the club in 16 months; while Academy forward Charles Sagoe Jr. was handed a first-team debut.^[122] Nelson netted the only goal of the game in the 8th minute to clinch victory for the Gunners. The 1–0 result advanced them to the next round.^[123][124]

Arsenal headed to the south coast of England on 30 September, facing 17th-placed Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium. Saka opened the scoring on 17 minutes, nodding in the rebound from Gabriel Jesus' effort. Arteta's side doubled their lead in the 44th minute through Ødegaard's penalty. The Gunners got another spot-kick early into the second half. This time Havertz was handed the ball by regular taker Saka to strike his first Arsenal goal on 53 minutes. White headed home from Ødegaard's free-kick in stoppage time, making it 4–0. This was the fourth time the Gunners had won their opening three away games in a top-flight campaign, and was the first time they had done so without conceding a single goal in their history. The win moved Arsenal to within one point of leaders Manchester City.^[125][126]

October

Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season with a 2–1 loss to Ligue 1 side Lens at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in the Champions League on Tuesday, 3 October, after being late arriving to northern France on Monday night with their flight delayed by around five hours due to bad weather.^[127] In the 14th minute, Saka seized upon Adrien Thomasson's loose pass and quickly set up Gabriel Jesus to rifle home and put the Gunners ahead. Eleven minutes later, Raya's pass to Tomiyasu was intercepted, and the ball eventually went to Thomasson, who unleashed a curling first-time strike past the Arsenal goalkeeper. It was the first away goal the Gunners had conceded in all competitions this campaign. Elye Wahi completed the turnaround for the hosts in the 69th minute as he fired a first-time finish into the net.^[128][129]

Raya

Saliba

Gabriel

White

Zinchenko

Jorginho

Ødegaard (c)

Rice

Jesus

Trossard

Nketiah

Starting line-up for the Premier League home match against Manchester City on 8 October 2023^[130]

Ahead of the second international break of the season, Arteta's men faced 1st-placed Manchester City at home on 8 October, for the fifth time in 2023. Saka was not included in the matchday squad after picking up an injury in France five days prior; it ended his club-record run of 87 consecutive Premier League appearances that was also the longest active run in the competition.^[131] In the 28th minute, City's Mateo Kovačić chopped Ødegaard down from behind, his studs colliding with the Norwegian's right ankle.^{[132][133][134]} Referee Michael Oliver deemed it worthy of only a yellow and the video assistant referee concurred with Oliver's original on-field decision.^{[130][135][136]} Within minutes Kovačić then made a similar late tackle from behind on Rice, catching the Englishman on the ankle with his studs.^{[132][133][134]} But Oliver did not further punish the Croatia midfielder, allowing him to stay on.^{[130][135][136]} Arteta introduced Martinelli for the second half and sent on Havertz, Partey and Tomiyasu in the 75th minute.^[137] All four replacements contributed to the Gunners' winning goal in the 86th minute, as Partey's lofted ball found Tomiyasu, who took on a striker's role by nodding it down to Havertz. The German then laid it off to Martinelli, whose first-time shot deflected off City's Nathan Aké, wrong-footing goalkeeper Ederson.^{[132][136][137]} The 1–0 victory meant that it was the first time Arsenal had beaten Manchester City in the Premier League since December 2015, after a run of fifteen league games without a win, losing each of the last twelve in a row.^[131][137] It also meant that Arteta had finally ended his personal run of seven straight league losses against City's Guardiola since he took charge of the Gunners in December 2019, and Arteta had beaten all 24 teams he had faced as a manager in the Premier League up until that point.^[131][133] The result moved Arsenal above City in the table and put them level on points with Tottenham at the top.^[130] Speaking on Match Officials: Mic'd Up – a programme that dissected refereeing decisions in the Premier League on 10 October, referees' chief Howard Webb said City midfielder Kovačić should have been sent off during the match.^{[138][139][140]}

Fourteen Arsenal first-team players (excluding players who were loaned out) joined up with their respective senior national teams for international fixtures in October: Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil), Elneny (Egypt), Nketiah, Ramsdale and Rice (England), Hein (Estonia), Havertz (Germany), Partey (as Ghana's captain),^[141] Tomiyasu (Japan), Ødegaard (as Norway's captain), Kiwior (Poland), Raya (Spain), and Zinchenko (as Ukraine's captain).^[142] Gabriel Magalhães scored his first senior goal for Brazil on 12 October.^[143] Nketiah made his senior debut for England on 13 October 2023.^[144]

The Gunners returned to action after the international break with a game against 11th-placed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 21 October. Both teams' performances were influenced by the driving rain and sticky pitch. The hosts went ahead from the penalty spot through Cole Palmer in the 15th minute, after the VAR adjudged that Saliba had handled the ball. Chelsea doubled their lead on 48 minutes as Mykhailo Mudryk's mishit cross lobbed goalkeeper Raya. In the 77th minute, Rice pounced on a loose pass from goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to curl a first-time effort into the unguarded net.^[145][146] Coming from 36.6 yards out, this goal was the longest range goal scored by an Arsenal player in the Premier League since 2006–07.^[147] Seven minutes later, substitute Trossard tucked in a cross at the back post, making the score 2–2. This was the first time since March 2021 that the Gunners avoided defeat in a Premier League away game in which they had trailed by two or more goals.^[146]

It was reported that Partey suffered a thigh injury in training on 23 October, two days after the match against Chelsea.^[148] He would be out for 6–8 weeks after undergoing a procedure on the injury.^[149]

On 24 October, Arsenal made the trip to Spain for the third Champions League group match against La Liga side and Europa League holders Sevilla at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. The deadlock was broken in the final seconds of first-half stoppage time when Arsenal's three Brazilian Gabriels linked up to produce an impressive goal. Gabriel Magalhães made the clearance to Gabriel Jesus, who brought down a high looping ball, then pulled off a Cruyff turn to lose two Sevilla midfielders, and played a defence-splitting pass into the path of Martinelli. The latter raced 50 yards, then rounded the goalkeeper to slot into the empty net, marking his Champions League debut. Arteta's side doubled their advantage in the 53rd minute, as Rice intercepted the clearance and drove forward before passing to Gabriel Jesus, who cut inside and curled a shot into the top right corner from a narrow angle, becoming the second player to score in his first three Champions League games for Arsenal, after Marouane Chamakh in 2010. The hosts pulled one back in the 58 minute. The 2–1 victory moved the Gunners back to the top of Group B at the halfway stage.^[150] This was the second time Arsenal had scored at least twice in a Champions League away game against a Spanish side,^[151] and it was the first time they had won an away game against a Spanish side in the competition since February 2006 (1–0 v Real Madrid).^[152]

Four days later, Arteta's side played at home against newly promoted Sheffield United. Saka started as Arsenal's captain for the first time, while Smith Rowe made his first Premier League start since May 2022. Nketiah scored three goals before the hour mark, becoming the first Englishman to hit a Premier League hat-trick for Arsenal since Theo Walcott against West Bromwich Albion in May 2015. Vieira scored a fourth from the penalty spot. Tomiyasu rounded off the scoring in stoppage time by poking home his first goal for the club. The 5–0 win meant that Arteta's side had kept consecutive home clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since December 2021. The result extended their longest unbeaten start to a league campaign since 2007–08 to ten games.^[153][154]

November

Arsenal travelled to east London on 1 November to face West Ham United in the EFL Cup fourth round. The hosts took the lead on 16 minutes when White headed into his own net from a corner. West Ham doubled their advantage in the 50th minute through Mohammed Kudus's finish. Jarrod Bowen added a third for the Hammers on the hour mark with his volley beating goalkeeper Ramsdale. Ødegaard pulled a goal back for Arsenal in stoppage time. The 3–1 loss meant that Arteta's side were eliminated from the EFL Cup.^[155][156]

The Gunners hosted Sevilla in their fourth Champions League group game on 8 November. In the 29th minute, Jorginho played a defence-splitting pass through to Saka, who squared for Trossard to tuck home and put Arsenal ahead. Saka doubled the lead on 64 minutes with a curled effort into the bottom left corner, becoming the first Arsenal player to score and assist in consecutive home matches in the Champions League since 2007–08.^[157] The 2–0 win saw Arteta's side are four points clear at the top of Group B with two games to play.^[158][159] This was the fourth time the Gunners had won both Champions League group stage matches against a fellow big-five European league side.^[157]

On 11 November, Arsenal faced newly-promoted Burnley at home in their final fixture before the third international break of the season. Trossard broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time as he nodded in at the far post. This was the 1,000th goal Arsenal's men's first team had scored at Emirates Stadium since its establishment in 2006. Burnley equalised on 54 minutes through a deflected Josh Brownhill effort. The hosts retook the lead three minutes later when Saliba headed in a corner from close range. Zinchenko added a third in the 74th minute with an acrobatic finish. The Gunners finished the game with ten men after substitute Vieira was given a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Brownhill.^[160][161]

Sixteen Arsenal first-team players (excluding players who were loaned out) joined up with their respective senior national teams for international fixtures in November: Trossard (Belgium), Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães and Martinelli (Brazil), Elneny (Egypt), Ramsdale, Rice and Saka (England), Hein (Estonia), Saliba (France), Havertz (Germany), Jorginho (Italy), Tomiyasu (Japan), Kiwior (Poland), Raya (Spain), and Zinchenko (Ukraine).^[162] Martinelli scored his first senior goal for Brazil on 16 November.^[163]

After returning from the final international break of 2023, the Gunners faced 11th-placed Brentford away on 25 November. With on-loan goalkeeper Raya ineligible to face his parent club, Ramsdale was handed his first Premier League start since September.^[164] The English goalkeeper put his defence in trouble on 13 minutes as he dallied in the six-yard box and was dispossessed by Yoane Wissa, who passed to Bryan Mbeumo, whose shot was blocked on the line by Rice with Wissa putting the rebound wide. Ramsdale then made another major error on 37 minutes when he tried to throw the ball into midfield, but held on too long and bounced it to the ground just outside his area, and the ball went straight to Brentford.^[165][166] In the 77th minute, Zinchenko made a goal-line block to deny the Bees striker Neal Maupay.^[167] It looked like neither team was able to break the deadlock until substitute Havertz headed in Saka's cross at the back post on 89 minutes. The 1–0 victory vaulted Arsenal to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season, a point above Manchester City and two clear of Liverpool.^[164] The result ensured the Gunners extended their run to 17 games unbeaten in London derbies in the Premier League (W12 D5).^[165] Arteta became the 10th manager in Arsenal history to reach 200 games in charge. He had won 116 games, the most wins of any manager in their first 200 games in charge of the Gunners (previously Arsène Wenger with 111).^[168]

Raya

Saliba

Gabriel

Tomiyasu

Zinchenko

Rice

Ødegaard (c)

Havertz

Saka

Martinelli

Jesus

Starting line-up for the Champions League home match against Lens on 29 November 2023^[169]

On 28 November, Arteta confirmed in the pre-match press conference that Vieira had undergone surgery to his groin and would be out for weeks.^[170] A day later, Arsenal played at home in their fifth Champions League group game against Lens, who had beaten them 2–1 in the reverse fixture in October. The match saw several records set. Havertz tucked home from close range on 13 minutes,^[169] becoming the 100th different Arsenal player to score a goal for the Gunners at Emirates Stadium since the club moved from Highbury in 2006.^[171] In the 21st minute, Gabriel Jesus collected a Saka pass and slotted the ball past visiting goalkeeper,^[169] becoming the first player to score in each of his first four Champions League appearances for an English side. This also made Saka the first Premier League player to reach ten assists in all competitions this season.^[172] Saka added a third on 23 minutes,^[173] becoming the first player to both score and assist in three consecutive home games in the Champions League since 2015–16.^[172] Four minutes later, Tomiyasu's ball from the right-back position found Martinelli, who raced away down the left flank, then cut inside and curled a shot into the far corner. This was the fastest an English club had scored four goals in a Champions League match since 1998.^[172] In first-half stoppage time, Tomiyasu crossed for Ødegaard to thump a volley into the back of the net.^[173] This was the first time in the season that two attacking midfielders – Havertz and Ødegaard, and three forwards – Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli and Saka all started together,^[174] and they all scored in the first half. Arsenal became the first team in Champions League history to have five different scorers (excluding own goals) in the first half of a game.^[172] Following VAR intervention for a handball by Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov,^[169] substitute Jorginho converted his first Arsenal goal from the penalty spot on 86 minutes.^[174] The emphatic 6–0 victory was the biggest ever win by an English side against a French opponent in European competition.^[172] The result ensured Arteta's side qualified for the Champions League knockout stage as Group B winners with a game to spare.^[169]

December

Arteta's side faced 12th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on 2 December. In the 6th minute, Tomiyasu played a pass to Saka, who fired a low shot past goalkeeper José Sá. Saka's opener was the Gunners' 100th goal of 2023, making Arsenal the fifth big five European league team to reach this total across all competitions in 2023, after Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. It also meant that the Gunners had scored at least once in each of their last 32 matches against Wolves in all competitions, the joint longest scoring run against an opponent in the club's history.^[197] The hosts doubled the lead on 13 minutes through Ødegaard sweeping home from Zinchenko's cutback. But Arsenal were unable to find a way past Wolves' substitute goalkeeper Dan Bentley, who replaced injured Sá in the 23rd minute. The visitors pulled a goal back in the 86th minute. The 2–1 win kept the Gunners on top of the Premier League table.^[198][199]

Arsenal headed to Luton Town on 5 December for their first meeting in the English top flight in 32 years at Kenilworth Road.^[200] Saka made his 200th senior appearance for the Gunners, becoming the fourth-youngest player to play 200 matches in all competitions for Arsenal.^[201] Arteta's side opened the scoring on 20 minutes when Martinelli tapped in Saka's pass. The hosts levelled through Gabriel Osho in the 25th minute. The Gunners regained the lead on 45 minutes as Gabriel Jesus headed home White's cross from close range.^[202] After the start of the second half, strikes from Elijah Adebayo and Ross Barkley put the Hatters in front. Arsenal equalised on the hour mark when Havertz prodded in from Gabriel Jesus' pass.^[200] In stoppage time Rice headed in Ødegaard's cross, sparking wild celebrations in the away end. The thrilling 4–3 victory was the first time since October 2011 that Arsenal won a Premier League away game in which they had conceded at least three goals. Rice's last-gasp winner at 96 minutes and 23 seconds was the Gunners' latest winning goal on record (since 2006–07) in a Premier League away match, making him the third different Arsenal player to score two 90th minute winning goals in a single Premier League season. The result ended Arsenal's 10-game winless run away against Luton Town in all competitions, earning their first Kenilworth Road win since 1984.^[201]

The Gunners suffered their second Premier League defeat of the season with a 1–0 loss to 3rd-placed Aston Villa at Villa Park on 9 December. Manager Arteta watched the game from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban.^[203] John McGinn scored for the hosts on 7 minutes with a shot from the centre of the box, although Arsenal defender White could have done better. The Gunners had a penalty shout in the 47th minute when Villa's Douglas Luiz caught Gabriel Jesus' ankle inside the box, but VAR quickly decided not to overturn a no-penalty decision.^[204][205] An off-the-ball incident occurred in the 87th minute as Nketiah attempted to run in behind Villa defender Diego Carlos, the Arsenal striker was elbowed in the face by the Brazilian, and fell to the ground. Referee Jarred Gillett showed Carlos a yellow card, but the VAR did not advise Gillett to review the incident on the pitchside monitor for a possible case of violent conduct.^[206] In the 90th minute, Havertz brought down a cross and bundled the ball over the line. The goal was immediately ruled out on the field – a decision that was confirmed by a lengthy VAR check.^[204][205] The result meant that Arsenal dropped to second in the league, a point behind leaders Liverpool.^[204]

With top spot already assured, Arsenal made the trip to the Netherlands on 12 December for the final Champions League group match against Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven. In the 42nd minute, Nelson played a low pass to Nketiah, who drilled a shot into the bottom right corner. The hosts drew level on 50 minutes as Yorbe Vertessen bent an effort past Ramsdale and in off the post. The game ended 1–1.^[207] The Gunners finished the Champions League group stage with the highest goal difference of any team (+12).^[208] They would go into the round of 16 in February 2024.^[209]

Five days later, Arteta's side played at home against 8th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion. The Gunners found the breakthrough on 53 minutes when Saka's corner was inadvertently flicked on by Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke for an unmarked Gabriel Jesus to head in at the far post. Havertz sealed the victory for Arsenal in the 87th minute, netting his fourth goal in seven games since returning from international duty. The 2–0 win saw Arsenal extend their unbeaten home run to 13 games in all competitions – their longest run under manager Arteta, and sent them back to the top of the league table, a point above Liverpool.^[210][211]

Raya

Saliba

Gabriel

White

Zinchenko

Rice

Ødegaard (c)

Havertz

Saka

Martinelli

Jesus

Starting line-up for the Premier League away match against Liverpool on 23 December 2023^[212]

The Premier League's top two went head-to-head on 23 December as Arsenal travelled to Anfield to play against Liverpool. Gabriel Magalhães opened the scoring on four minutes, heading in from Ødegaard's set-piece. Liverpool levelled through Mohamed Salah on 29 minutes. Both teams had chances to win the game after that, but neither side could find the breakthrough.^[212][213] The Anfield pitch seemed to have played a factor in the match, as both sets of players slipped over throughout the game.^[214][215] In the 19th minute, Ødegaard slipped in his own box whilst changing direction, and his hand falling on the ball. The hosts wanted a spot-kick, though a VAR check stayed with the on-field decision not to award a penalty.^[216] In the 33rd minute, Saka slipped near the touchline and nudged defender Kostas Tsimikas into manager Jürgen Klopp, resulting in both Liverpool men falling to the ground. Tsimikas was forced off with an injury, and was revealed to have broken his collarbone in the collision with Klopp.^[217][214] In the 41st minute, Martinelli slipped in the box before firing wide with goalkeeper Alisson off his line.^[216][214] In the 72nd minute, Zinchenko slipped and went in Ødegaard's way from an Arsenal corner, allowing Liverpool to counter. Salah led a five on two attack, but Alexander-Arnold smashed the crossbar from close range.^[216] In the 88th minute, Saka competed for the ball with Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch. The Englishman won the ball but slipped and the two collided at midfield.^[215] The 1–1 draw meant that the Gunners would start Christmas Day top of the English top-flight table in two consecutive years for just a second time, after last doing so in 1932 and 1933.^[217]

Arsenal suffered their first home defeat of the season with a 2–0 loss to 6th-placed West Ham United on 28 December. In the 13th minute, Jarrod Bowen pulled the ball back from the byline to Tomáš Souček, who tapped home from close range. While the ball had potentially gone out of play before Bowen's pass, there was no clear angle available for the VAR to determine whether it was in or out, and the goal was awarded. Konstantinos Mavropanos doubled the lead on 55 minutes, becoming the first former Arsenal player to score his first goal in the Premier League against the Gunners. Rice gave away a penalty in stoppage time, but Saïd Benrahma's effort was saved by Raya. Arteta's side reached the halfway point of the league campaign with twelve wins, four draws, three losses and 40 points from 19 games, two points behind leaders Liverpool.^[218][219]

The Gunners concluded 2023 with a trip across the capital to face 13th-placed Fulham at Craven Cottage on New Year's Eve. Arteta's side took the lead after four minutes as goalkeeper Raya quickly rolled the ball out to Havertz, who fed Martinelli. The Brazilian winger's shot was palmed out by Bernd Leno, and Saka tapped home from six yards. The Cottagers drew level with a counter-attacking goal scored by Raúl Jiménez on 29 minutes. Bobby Decordova-Reid completed the turnaround for Fulham in the 59th minute. The 2–1 loss ended Arsenal's run of 48 league games unbeaten when going 1–0 ahead. The result left the Gunners sitting fourth in the Premier League table.^[220][221]

January

Elneny was named in Egypt's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which would be held in Ivory Coast from 13 January to 11 February.^[222] Tomiyasu was called up by Japan for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which would take place in Qatar from 12 January to 10 February.^[223]

On 7 January, Arteta's side entered the FA Cup in the third round, facing Premier League side Liverpool at home. The Gunners created many goal-scoring opportunities, but failed to convert any. In the 80th minute, Kiwior's own goal handed Liverpool the lead. In the last minute of stoppage time, Ramsdale's long pass was intercepted, the ball eventually went to Luis Díaz, whose goal knocked Arsenal out of the competition.^[224][225]

On 9 January, the Gunners travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for a week-long training camp.^[226]

First-team coaching staff

Position	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Appointed in	Last club/team	References
Manager	Mikel Arteta	ESP	(1982-03-26) 26 March 1982[228]	December 2019	Manchester City (as assistant coach)	[229][230][231]
Assistant Coach	Albert Stuivenberg	NED	(1970-10-30) 30 October 1970[232]	December 2019	Wales (as assistant manager)	[233][234][235]
Assistant Coach	Miguel Molina	ESP	(1993-01-03) 3 January 1993[236]	August 2020	Atlético Madrid	[237][238][239]
Assistant Coach	Carlos Cuesta	ESP	(1995-07-29) 29 July 1995[240]	August 2020	Juventus	[237][238][241]
Assistant Coach	Nicolas Jover	FRA	(1981-10-28) 28 October 1981[242]	July 2021	Manchester City (as set-piece coach)	[243][244][245]
Goalkeeping Coach	Iñaki Caña	ESP	(1975-09-19) 19 September 1975[246]	December 2019	Brentford	[233][234][247]

Notes:

• Carlos Cuesta is the first-team Individual Development Coach.^[241]
• Steve Round left his position of Assistant Coach by mutual agreement in July 2023.^[10][11]

First-team squad

As of 12 January 2024, there were twenty-six players in the first-team squad: three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders, and seven forwards. Five other first-team players were out on loan.

Notes:

• Squad numbers last updated on 12 January 2024.^[85]
• Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
• Player^* – Player who joined Arsenal permanently or on loan during the season.
• Player^† – Player who departed Arsenal permanently or on loan during the season.
• Player (HG) – Player who fulfils the Premier League's "Home Grown Player" criteria.^[248][249]
• Player (CT) – Player who fulfils UEFA's "club-trained player" criteria.^[250][251]
• Player (AT) – Player who fulfils UEFA's "association-trained player" criteria.^[250][251]
• Player (U21) – Player who was registered by Arsenal as an Under-21 Player on the 2023–24 Premier League Squad List.^[248][249]
• Player (ListB) – Player who was registered by Arsenal on the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League Squad List B.^[252][253]

No.	Player	Nat.	Position(s) (Footedness)	Date of birth (age)	Height	Signed		Transfer fee	Ref.
						In	From
Goalkeepers
1	Aaron Ramsdale (HG, AT)[lower-alpha 1]	ENG	GK (R)	(1998-05-14) 14 May 1998	1.88 m[255] (6 ft 2 in)	2021	Sheffield United	£24.0m[256] (initial fee)	[257] [258]
22	David Raya* (HG, AT)[lower-alpha 2]	ESP	GK (R)	(1995-09-15) 15 September 1995	1.83 m[259] (6 ft 0 in)	2023	Brentford (on loan)	£3.0m[69][lower-alpha 3] (initial loan fee)	[260] [261]
31	Karl Hein (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	EST	GK (R)	(2002-04-13) 13 April 2002	1.93 m[262] (6 ft 4 in)	2019[263]	Arsenal Academy	N/A	[264] [265]
Defenders
2	William Saliba (HG, CT)	FRA	CB (R)	(2001-03-24) 24 March 2001	1.92 m[266] (6 ft 4 in)	2019	Saint-Étienne	£27.0m[267]	[268] [269]
4	Ben White (HG, AT)[lower-alpha 4]	ENG	RB / CB (R)	(1997-10-08) 8 October 1997	1.86 m[271] (6 ft 1 in)	2021	Brighton & Hove Albion	£50.0m[272]	[273] [274]
6	Gabriel Magalhães	BRA	CB (L)	(1997-12-19) 19 December 1997	1.90 m[275] (6 ft 3 in)	2020	Lille	£23.1m[276]	[277] [278]
12	Jurriën Timber*	NED	RB[lower-alpha 5] / LB[lower-alpha 6] / CB (R)	(2001-06-17) 17 June 2001	1.79 m[279] (5 ft 10 in)	2023	Ajax	£34.3m[51] (initial fee)	[280] [281]
15	Jakub Kiwior	POL	CB / LB[lower-alpha 6] (L)	(2000-02-15) 15 February 2000	1.89 m[282] (6 ft 2 in)	2023	Spezia	£17.6m[283]	[284] [285]
17	Cédric Soares	POR	RB / RWB (R)	(1991-08-31) 31 August 1991	1.72 m[286] (5 ft 8 in)	2020	Southampton	Free[287]	[288] [289]
18	Takehiro Tomiyasu	JPN	RB / LB[lower-alpha 6] / CB (R)	(1998-11-05) 5 November 1998	1.87 m[290] (6 ft 2 in)	2021	Bologna	£16.0m[291]	[292] [293]
35	Oleksandr Zinchenko	UKR	LB[lower-alpha 6] / CM (L)	(1996-12-15) 15 December 1996	1.75 m[294] (5 ft 9 in)	2022	Manchester City	£30.0m[295] (initial fee)	[296] [297]
Midfielders
5	Thomas Partey	GHA	DM / CM / RB[lower-alpha 5] (R)	(1993-06-13) 13 June 1993	1.85 m[298] (6 ft 1 in)	2020	Atlético Madrid	£45.3m[299] (release clause)	[300] [301]
8	Martin Ødegaard (captain)[302]	NOR	AM / CM (L)	(1998-12-17) 17 December 1998	1.78 m[303] (5 ft 10 in)	2021	Real Madrid	£30.0m[256]	[304] [305]
10	Emile Smith Rowe (HG, CT)	ENG	AM / LW (R)	(2000-07-28) 28 July 2000	1.82 m[306] (6 ft 0 in)	2017[307]	Arsenal Academy	N/A	[308] [309]
20	Jorginho	ITA	DM / CM (R)	(1991-12-20) 20 December 1991	1.80 m[310] (5 ft 11 in)	2023	Chelsea	£12.0m[311]	[312] [313]
21	Fábio Vieira	POR	AM / RW (L)	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000	1.70 m[314] (5 ft 7 in)	2022	Porto	£29.9m[315] (initial fee)	[316] [317]
25	Mohamed Elneny	EGY	DM (R)	(1992-07-11) 11 July 1992	1.79 m[318] (5 ft 10 in)	2016	Basel	£5.0m[319]	[320] [321]
29	Kai Havertz*	GER	AM / ST / RW (L)	(1999-06-11) 11 June 1999	1.93 m[322] (6 ft 4 in)	2023	Chelsea	£62.0m[41] (initial fee)	[323] [324]
41	Declan Rice* (HG, AT)[lower-alpha 7]	ENG	DM / CM / CB (R)	(1999-01-14) 14 January 1999	1.85 m[325] (6 ft 1 in)	2023	West Ham United	£100.0m[56] (initial fee)	[326] [327]
Forwards
7	Bukayo Saka (HG, CT)	ENG	RW / LB (L)	(2001-09-05) 5 September 2001	1.78 m[328] (5 ft 10 in)	2018[329]	Arsenal Academy	N/A	[330] [331]
9	Gabriel Jesus (vice-captain)[47]	BRA	ST / LW / RW (R)	(1997-04-03) 3 April 1997	1.75 m[332] (5 ft 9 in)	2022	Manchester City	£45.0m[333]	[334] [335]
11	Gabriel Martinelli (HG, CT)	BRA	LW / ST / RW (R)	(2001-06-18) 18 June 2001	1.78 m[336] (5 ft 10 in)	2019	Ituano	£6.0m[337]	[338] [339]
14	Eddie Nketiah (HG, CT)	ENG	ST (R)	(1999-05-30) 30 May 1999	1.80 m[340] (5 ft 11 in)	2016[341]	Arsenal Academy	N/A	[340] [342]
19	Leandro Trossard	BEL	LW / ST / AM (R)	(1994-12-04) 4 December 1994	1.72 m[343] (5 ft 8 in)	2023	Brighton & Hove Albion	£21.0m[344] (initial fee)	[345] [346]
24	Reiss Nelson (HG, CT)	ENG	RW / LW (R)	(1999-12-10) 10 December 1999	1.75 m[347] (5 ft 9 in)	2016[348]	Arsenal Academy	N/A	[349] [350]
27	Marquinhos	BRA	RW (L)	(2003-04-07) 7 April 2003	1.75 m[351] (5 ft 9 in)	2022	São Paulo	Undisclosed[352]	[353] [354]
Out on loan
3	Kieran Tierney†	SCO	LB / LWB (L)	(1997-06-05) 5 June 1997	1.78 m[355] (5 ft 10 in)	2019	Celtic	£25.0m[356]	[357] [358]
13	Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson†	ISL	GK (R)	(1995-02-18) 18 February 1995	1.86 m[359] (6 ft 1 in)	2020	Dijon	Undisclosed[360]	[361] [362]
23	Albert Sambi Lokonga†	BEL	CM (R)	(1999-10-22) 22 October 1999	1.83 m[363] (6 ft 0 in)	2021	Anderlecht	£17.2m[364]	[365] [366]
33	Arthur Okonkwo† (HG, CT)	ENG	GK (R)	(2001-09-09) 9 September 2001	1.98 m[367] (6 ft 6 in)	2018[329]	Arsenal Academy	N/A	[368] [369]
—	Nuno Tavares†	POR	LB / LWB (L)	(2000-01-26) 26 January 2000	1.83 m[370] (6 ft 0 in)	2021	Benfica	£8.0m[371]	[372] [373]

Squad number changes

Notes:

• Squad numbers last updated on 15 August 2023.^[85]
• The list is sorted by new squad number.
• Player^* – Player who joined Arsenal permanently or on loan during the season.
• Player^† – Player who departed Arsenal permanently or on loan during the season.

Player	Pos.	Prev. No.	New No.	Previous player to wear number	Notes	Ref.
William Saliba	DF	12	2	Héctor Bellerín (2021–22)	Bellerín departed the club (September 2022)	[374][13]
Jurriën Timber*	DF	—	12	William Saliba (2022–23)	Saliba took the number 2 shirt (July 2023)	[13][53]
David Raya*	GK	—	22	Pablo Marí (2022–23)	Marí departed the club (June 2023)	[45][68]
Kai Havertz*	MF	—	29	Matteo Guendouzi (2021–22)	Guendouzi departed the club (July 2022)	[375][42]
Auston Trusty†	DF	—	32	Aaron Ramsdale (2021–22)	Ramsdale took the number 1 shirt (August 2022)	[376]
Declan Rice*	MF	—	41	Mika Biereth (2023–24)	Biereth was re-allocated number 64 (July 2023)	[58]

Academy coaching staff

Position	Name	Nationality	Year joined	Last club/team	References
Academy Manager	Per Mertesacker	Germany	2018	Arsenal (as player)	[377][378]
Head of Academy Coaching	Luke Hobbs	England	2013	Southend United	[379][380]
Under-21s Head Coach	Mehmet Ali	Turkey	2022	Reading	[381][382]
Under-18s Head Coach	Jack Wilshere	England	2022	AGF (as player)	[381][382]

Academy players

As of 7 January 2024, eight Arsenal Academy players featured in a first-team matchday squad during the season.

Notes:

• Squad numbers last updated on 12 December 2023.^[383][252]
• Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
• Player (HG) – Player who fulfils the Premier League's "Home Grown Player" criteria.^[248][249]
• Player (CT) – Player who fulfils UEFA's "club-trained player" criteria.^[250][251]
• Player (AT) – Player who fulfils UEFA's "association-trained player" criteria.^[250][251]
• Player (U21) – Player who was registered by Arsenal as an Under-21 Player on the 2023–24 Premier League Squad List.^[248][249]
• Player (ListB) – Player who was registered by Arsenal on the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League Squad List B.^[252][253]

No.	Player	Nat.	Pos.	Date of birth (Age)	Games	Notes	Ref.
U21s
45	Amario Cozier-Duberry (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	ENG	FW	(2005-05-29) 29 May 2005[384]	2	Signed first professional contract in June 2022.[385]	[123][158]
55	Bradley Ibrahim (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	ENG	MF	(2004-10-21) 21 October 2004[386]	1	Signed first professional contract in March 2022.[387]	[160]
71	Charles Sagoe Jr. (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	ENG	FW	(2004-07-24) 24 July 2004[388]	3	Signed first professional contract in July 2022.[389]	[123][158][160]
72	Lino Sousa (HG, AT, U21)	ENG	DF	(2005-01-19) 19 January 2005[390]	2	Signed first professional contract in January 2022.[391]	[207][224]
73	James Sweet (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	WAL	DF	(2003-11-03) 3 November 2003[392]	1	Signed first professional contract in July 2022.[393]	[123]
76	Reuell Walters (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	ENG	DF	(2004-12-16) 16 December 2004[394]	7	Signed first professional contract in February 2022.[395]	[123][160][200][204] [207][210][224]
U18s
59	Myles Lewis-Skelly (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	ENG	MF	(2006-09-26) 26 September 2006[396]	2	Signed first professional contract in October 2023.[397]	[169][210]
63	Ethan Nwaneri (HG, CT, U21, ListB)	ENG	MF	(2007-03-21) 21 March 2007[398]	4	Signed first-year scholarship forms in June 2023.[399][400]	[169][207][218][224]

New contracts

The following Arsenal players signed their first or new professional contracts with the club.

Date	No.	Pos.	Player	Contract type	Ref.
First team
6 July 2023	24	FW	Reiss Nelson	Contract extension till 2027[9]	[8]
7 July 2023	2	DF	William Saliba	Contract extension till 2027[12]	[13]
22 September 2023	8	MF	Martin Ødegaard	Contract extension till 2028[118]	[117]
Academy
6 July 2023	68	DF	Elián Quesada-Thorn	First professional contract	[414]
	70	DF	Josh Robinson		[415]
7 July 2023	51	MF	Jimi Gower		[416]
	66	MF	Ismail Oulad M'Hand		[417]
5 October 2023	59	MF	Myles Lewis-Skelly		[397]

Released

The following players from Arsenal's first team, under-21s and under-18s squads were released by the club.

Date	No.	Pos.	Player	Subsequent club	Join date	Notes	Ref.
First team
30 June 2023	—	DF	Ainsley Maitland-Niles	Lyon (Ligue 1)	7 August 2023	End of contract	[38][418]
9 September 2023	—	FW	Nicolas Pépé	Trabzonspor (Süper Lig)	10 September 2023	Contract termination	[84][419]
Academy
30 June 2023	38	DF	Zach Awe	Southampton (Championship)	8 August 2023	End of contract	[38][420]
	57	FW	Joel Ideho	ADO Den Haag (Eerste Divisie)	9 August 2023		[38][421]
	61	FW	George Lewis	Unattached in the 2023–24 season			[38]
	72	MF	Matt Smith	Wigan Athletic (League One)	1 July 2023		[38][422]
	73	GK	Tom Smith	Colchester United (League Two)	31 July 2023		[38][423]
	88	FW	Kaleel Green		1 July 2023		[38][424]
	90	GK	Alexandar Kovacevic	Unattached in the 2023–24 season			[38]
	92	DF	Tino Quamina
	94	MF	Mathaeus Roberts	Ipswich Town U21 (PDL 2 South Division)	11 September 2023		[38][425]

Transfers in

Date	No.	Pos.	Player	Transferred from	Transfer fee	Ref.
First team
28 June 2023	29	MF	Kai Havertz	Chelsea (Premier League)	£62.0m + £3.0m[41]	[42]
14 July 2023	12	DF	Jurriën Timber	Ajax (Eredivisie)	£34.3m + £4.3m[51]	[53]
15 July 2023	41	MF	Declan Rice	West Ham United (Premier League)	£100.0m + £5.0m[56]	[58]

Total expenditure: £196.3 million (excluding potential add-ons and bonuses)

Transfers out

Date	No.	Pos.	Player	Transferred to	Transfer fee	Ref.
First team
30 June 2023	22	DF	Pablo Marí	Monza (Serie A)	£6.0m[46]	[45]
6 July 2023	34	MF	Granit Xhaka	Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)	£21.4m[48]	[49]
3 August 2023	32	DF	Auston Trusty	Sheffield United (Premier League)	£5.0m[62]	[63]
9 August 2023	30	GK	Matt Turner	Nottingham Forest (Premier League)	£10.0m[64]	[65]
30 August 2023	26	FW	Folarin Balogun	Monaco (Ligue 1)	£25.8m + £8.6m[77][lower-alpha 1]	[76]
1 September 2023	16	DF	Rob Holding	Crystal Palace (Premier League)	£1.0m + £2.5m[82]	[81]
Academy
20 June 2023	62	FW	Nikolaj Möller	St. Gallen (Super League)	Undisclosed	[426]
28 June 2023	65	DF	Mazeed Ogungbo	Barrow (League Two)		[427]
1 August 2023	44	MF	Ben Cottrell	Mura (PrvaLiga)		[428]
6 September 2023	37	DF	Ryan Alebiosu	Kortrijk (Pro League)		[429]
10 September 2023	49	MF	Marcelo Flores	Tigres (Liga MX)		[430]
11 September 2023	36	MF	Tim Akinola	Al Bidda (Second Division)		[431]

Total income: £69.2 million (excluding potential add-ons and undisclosed figures)

Loans in

Date	No.	Pos.	Player	Loaned from	On loan until	Loan fee	Ref.
First team
15 August 2023	22	GK	David Raya	Brentford (Premier League)	End of season	£3.0m[69][lower-alpha 1]	[68]

Total expenditure: £3.0 million (excluding further fees)

Loans out

Date	No.	Pos.	Player	Loaned to	On loan until	Loan fee	Ref.
First team
12 August 2023	27	FW	Marquinhos	Nantes (Ligue 1)	12 January 2024‡	Undisclosed	[66][227]
18 August 2023	13	GK	Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson	Cardiff City (Championship)	End of season		[72]
27 August 2023	3	DF	Kieran Tierney	Real Sociedad (La Liga)		£1.2m[74]	[73]
1 September 2023	23	MF	Albert Sambi Lokonga	Luton Town (Premier League)		Undisclosed	[83]
	33	GK	Arthur Okonkwo	Wrexham (League Two)			[80]
	—	DF	Nuno Tavares	Nottingham Forest (Premier League)		£1.0m[79][lower-alpha 1]	[78]
Academy
26 June 2023	43	MF	Cătălin Cîrjan	Rapid București (Liga I)	End of season	Undisclosed	[432]
18 July 2023	40	MF	Mauro Bandeira	Colchester United (League Two)	3 January 2024‡		[433][434]
20 July 2023	75	FW	Billy Vigar	Eastbourne Borough (National League South)	End of season		[435]
21 July 2023	52	GK	Hubert Graczyk	Slough Town (National League South)			[436]
3 August 2023	64	FW	Mika Biereth	Motherwell (Premiership)			[437]
11 August 2023	67	MF	Charlie Patino	Swansea City (Championship)			[438]
24 August 2023	62	DF	Brooke Norton-Cuffy	Millwall (Championship)			[439]
25 August 2023	57	FW	Tyreece John-Jules	Derby County (League One)	January 2024		[440]
31 August 2023	65	MF	Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand	Den Bosch (Eerste Divisie)	End of season		[441]
1 September 2023	42	FW	Nathan Butler-Oyedeji	Cheltenham Town (League One)			[442]
	56	DF	Henry Jeffcott	Derby County (League One)			[443]
	69	DF	Omar Rekik	Wigan Athletic (League One)	January 2024		[444]
	90	GK	Brian Okonkwo	Leatherhead (Isthmian League South Central)		Work experience	[445]
4 September 2023	58	DF	Alex Kirk	Bromley (National League)	End of season	Undisclosed	[446]
	74	FW	Kido Taylor-Hart

Total income: £2.2 million (excluding undisclosed figures)

Overall transfer activity

Note: All loan fees included. All potential add-ons, bonuses and undisclosed figures excluded.

Transfer window	Spending	Income	Net expenditure
Summer 2023	£199.3 million	£73.1 million[lower-alpha 1]	£126.2 million
Winter 2024	£0.0 million	£0.0 million	£0.0 million
Total	£199.3 million	£73.1 million	£126.2 million

Kit information

This is Adidas's fifth year supplying Arsenal kit, having taken over from Puma at the beginning of the 2019–20 season.^[448][449] On 2 August 2023, Arsenal and Emirates announced that they had extended their partnership to 2028 – the longest-running front-of-shirt sponsorship in Premier League history.^[450][451]

Arsenal players wearing the third kit in their Champions League away game against Lens on 3 October 2023

• Home: The club confirmed on 26 May 2023 that their new home kit for the 2023–24 season would debut in the final home game of the 2022–23 season. The home kit uses Arsenal's traditional colours of red and white. The shirt has a red body and white sleeves, and is complemented by white shorts and white socks.^[452][453] Red shorts were used in some away games when there was a colour clash with the home team's kit. The new kit pays tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 2003–04 Invincibles season, as the Gunners' crest, Adidas' logo and three stripes feature in gold, while a lightning bolt pattern appears on the socks.^[452][453]
• Away: The new men's team away kit was revealed on 18 July, during the club's US tour. The shirt features black lines inspired by the map of Islington, Arsenal's home borough. A yellow base colour is complemented by light blue accents on the collars and sleeves. The shirt is partnered with black shorts and yellow socks.^[454][455] Yellow shorts may be used in some away games when there will be a colour clash with the home team's kit. The kit was launched with an accompanying video that shows a fictional radio station set deep within Emirates Stadium broadcasting "Islington's finest to the world".^[455][456] The kit debuted in the 2023 Major League Soccer All-Star Game on July 19.^[22]
• Third: On 18 August, the Gunners unveiled their new third kit, which pays homage to their green and navy-blue away kit from the 1982–83 season. The shirt has a green base with navy shoulders and a simple off-white cannon badge at chest, and is combined with navy shorts and green socks.^[457][458] White socks were used in some away games when there was a colour clash with the home team's kit. The kit was launched alongside a film that "brings continental style to the streets of Islington".^[457][459] The kit debuted in Arsenal's UEFA Champions League group stage match against French side Lens on 3 October.^[128] A lifestyle version of the shirt was released on 12 September.^[460]
• No More Red: On 4 January 2024, Arsenal announced that they would extend their "No More Red" campaign – an initiative that aims to help keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence – for a third season. The all-white kit would be worn for the first time in a home fixture on 7 January when they would face Liverpool in the FA Cup third round.^[461]
• Goalkeeper: The new goalkeeper kits are based on Adidas's goalkeeper template for the season.

Kit usage

As of 7 January 2024

Friendlies

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

1. FC Nürnberg v Arsenal

13 July 2023 Friendly	1. FC Nürnberg	1–1	Arsenal	Nuremberg, Germany
19:00 CEST (18:00 BST)	Okunuki  45+3' Márquez  48' Jorginho 62' (o.g.)	Report	Saka 7' Trusty  70'	Stadium: Max-Morlock-Stadion Attendance: 19,000 Referee: Michael Bacher (Germany)

Arsenal v Manchester United

22 July 2023 Friendly	Arsenal	0–2 (3–5 p)	Manchester United	East Rutherford, United States
17:00 EDT (22:00 BST)	Gabriel Jesus  85'	Report	Fernandes 30' Sancho 37' Martínez  43' Maguire  73'	Stadium: MetLife Stadium Attendance: 82,262 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States)
	Penalties
	Ødegaard Trossard Vieira Jorginho		Casemiro Dalot Lindelöf Rashford Eriksen

Arsenal v Barcelona

26 July 2023 Friendly	Arsenal	5–3	Barcelona	Los Angeles, United States
20:06 PDT (04:06 BST +1)	Saka 13', 22' Trossard  27', 55', 78' Havertz  36', 43' White  41' Vieira 89'	Report	Lewandowski 7' Raphinha 34' Araújo  37' Torres 88'	Stadium: SoFi Stadium Attendance: 70,223 Referee: Alex Chilowicz (United States)
Note: The game was delayed by 36 minutes due to an issue with the pitch.[467]

MLS All-Star Game

MLS All-Stars v Arsenal

19 July 2023	MLS All-Stars	0–5	Arsenal	Washington, United States
20:30 EDT (01:30 BST +1)	Martínez  13' Barreal  18' Almada  45+3' Glesnes  45+6'	Report	Gabriel Jesus 5' Gabriel  21' Trossard 23' Jorginho 47' (pen.) Havertz  60', 89' Martinelli 84'	Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 20,621 Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)

Emirates Cup

Arsenal v Monaco

2 August 2023	Arsenal	1–1 (5–4 p)	Monaco	Holloway
18:00 BST	Saliba  25' Nketiah 43' Gabriel  67'	Report	Fofana 31' Ben Yedder  68'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
	Penalties
	Ødegaard Jorginho Havertz Vieira Gabriel		Caio Henrique Fofana Diatta Minamino Volland
Note: This result ensured that Arsenal won the 2023 Emirates Cup.

Overall record