We’re just over a week away from Arsenal’s curtain-raiser at Selhurst Park and the excitement is palpable among supporters.
The club’s efficient and shrewd work in the transfer market has rid any memories of the epilogue to last season, with many projecting the Gunners to improve upon their fifth-place finish in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta and Edu have done a stellar job in preparation for the new season – both on and off the field – and the unity surrounding Arsenal heading into 2022/23 is unlike anything we’ve seen since Arsene Wenger’s pomp.
This club is turning a corner, and it’s about time Arteta’s project exploded at the Emirates.
PITA’s Arsenal predictions for the 2022/23 season
As you might have gauged, we’re pretty bullish over Arsenal’s chances here at PITA, but what would be the point of keeping such high hopes under wraps, eh?
So, here are our predictions for Arsenal’s 2022/23 season.
Where will Arsenal finish in the Premier League?
The expectations for Arsenal are lofty this season. (Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
James Cormack – The strength of Arsenal’s competitors means it’ll be tough to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish, but I think they will. The Gunners’ work in the transfer market will further bring to light the efficacy of Arteta’s system, but their lack of squad depth puts a ceiling on their potential. I envisage a fourth-place finish.
Adam Schultz – Third. Given how close the club came last season with limited options for the first team, adding Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and possibly one more, top four is a minimum requirement for Mikel Arteta’s side. With Chelsea seemingly not travelling that well as off-field issues plague them and the uncertainty around Tottenham’s signings and how they will drastically improve the team, third feels like a reachable goal, although fourth is as well.
Mitch Peotter – The Premier League has had quite a shake-up this summer which makes it very hard to predict. I do think that despite the turnover Liverpool and Manchester City will be competing for the title again but the next tier could finish anywhere. I do not think Chelsea has gotten particularly stronger so far this summer and Arsenal and Tottenham have. I think Arsenal finishes fourth this upcoming season.
Kenneth Daly – Although a few costly stumbles at the end of the previous campaign were very difficult to accept, this young Arsenal team will have learned many important lessons and we should be better placed next season to finally end our Champions League hoodoo. Their greater mental resilience and undoubted talent have also been complemented by another hefty summer spend and with plenty of time left in the window for further business, there is every reason to believe we have now assembled the squad required to renew acquaintance with our beloved fourth spot.
Trent Nelson – I’m a bit bullish, and why not? I’m saying that this team will gun for third place in the league table. I know that the pre-season is just exhibition and practice, but the energy and connectivity is noticeable and wholly different compared to recent summers. Arsenal will be right behind City and Liverpool this year, and right ahead of Chelsea and Spurs after missing out on the top four by just two points last season.
Continued on the next slide…
James Cormack –</strong></a> The strength of Arsenal’s competitors means it’ll be tough to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish, but I think they will. The Gunners’ work in the transfer market will further bring to light the efficacy of Arteta’s system, but their lack of squad depth puts a ceiling on their potential. I envisage a <strong>fourth-place finish</strong>.</p>
<p><strong><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/author/aschultz/">Adam Schultz –</a> Third</strong>. Given how close the club came last season with limited options for the first team, adding Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and possibly one more, top four is a minimum requirement for Mikel Arteta’s side. With Chelsea seemingly not travelling that well as off-field issues plague them and the uncertainty around Tottenham’s signings and how they will drastically improve the team, third feels like a reachable goal, although fourth is as well.</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/author/mpeotter/">Mitch Peotter –</strong> </a>The Premier League has had quite a shake-up this summer which makes it very hard to predict. I do think that despite the turnover Liverpool and Manchester City will be competing for the title again but the next tier could finish anywhere. I do not think Chelsea has gotten particularly stronger so far this summer and Arsenal and Tottenham have. I think Arsenal finishes <strong>fourth</strong> this upcoming season.</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/author/kdaly/">Kenneth Daly –</strong></a> Although a few costly stumbles at the end of the previous campaign were very difficult to accept, this young Arsenal team will have learned many important lessons and we should be better placed next season to finally end our Champions League hoodoo. Their greater mental resilience and undoubted talent have also been complemented by another hefty summer spend and with plenty of time left in the window for further business, there is every reason to believe we have now assembled the squad required to renew acquaintance with our beloved <strong>fourth spot</strong>.</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/author/tnelson1/">Trent Nelson –</strong> </a>I’m a bit bullish, and why not? I’m saying that this team will gun for <strong>third place</strong> in the league table. I know that the pre-season is just exhibition and practice, but the energy and connectivity is noticeable and wholly different compared to recent summers. Arsenal will be right behind City and Liverpool this year, and right ahead of Chelsea and Spurs after missing out on the top four by just two points last season.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Will Arsenal win silverware? </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>Will Arsenal win silverware in 2022/23?</h2>
<div id="attachment_126214" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-126214" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1152706041.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1152706041.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1152706041-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Europe’s premier cup competition. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>James –</strong> Silverware is well within their grasp and it’d be great to see the club make a deep run in the <strong>Europa League</strong>. They certainly have the starting XI to go all the way and if they’re not stricken by injuries, I’d back them to win the competition. Liverpool and Manchester City will continue to dominate in the domestic cup competitions.</p>
<p><strong>Adam –</strong> <strong>Yes</strong> they will, a cup competition. Arsenal have to win something this year. Getting into the top four will seem like a trophy, but a cup win or a Europa League triumph is well within their grasp in 2022/23.</p>
<p><strong>Mitch –</strong> Silverware is always the hope and this is the season I think Arsenal <strong>win the Europa League</strong>. In fact, I would sacrifice league position to win that tournament. The end goal would still be achieved by getting back to the Champions League and we won something along the way. The domestic trophies would be great too but I hope Arsenal does everything to win the EL.</p>
<p><strong>Kenneth –</strong> Perhaps the Premier League title will remain out of reach for a little while yet, but the Gunners have nevertheless added quality and depth to their ranks during the off-season and are well-equipped to add some silverware to the trophy cabinet. A Carabao Cup triumph is of course a welcome prospect and everybody would love to see a 15th FA Cup win under the Wembley arch in May, but the one that really matters is the<strong> Europa League crown</strong> and I am optimistic we will be watching the Arsenal captain – whoever that may be – lifting the cup in Budapest next year.</p>
<p><strong>Trent –</strong> Again, quite bullish, but who cares? While the team won’t win the league very likely, I think <strong>Europa League and FA Cup victories</strong> are within the team’s grasp. That means a double and a European berth even if the domestic season is more disappointing than I believe it will be.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Top scorer? </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>Who will be the club’s top scorer in all competitions?</h2>
<div id="attachment_127967" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127967" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1410538259.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410538259.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410538259-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Gabriel Jesus has lit up pre-season. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>James –</strong> Eddie Nketiah will enjoy a productive Europa League campaign and he could hit ten Premier League goals, but I can’t not pick <strong>Gabriel Jesus</strong> here. The Brazilian has been so impressive in pre-season and he’ll forge chances for himself on a weekly basis. I’m backing Jesus to hit 17 Premier League goals.</p>
<p><strong>Adam –</strong> Given what he has done so far this summer, I can’t overlook <strong>Gabriel Jesus</strong>. The 25-year-old has been in scintillating form since signing with the club. He has everything needed to succeed in the Premier League and we saw that when he was with Manchester City. He will be the main man and will get ample chances to score with the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli behind him.</p>
<p><strong>Mitch – Gabriel Jesus</strong>. He has fit right into the team in pre-season and looks like an incredible signing. Having a striker with his dynamic movement and ability is a breath of fresh air and a huge reason why I think Arsenal will build on last season’s fifth-place finish.</p>
<p><strong>Kenneth –</strong> It promises to be a competitive battle between <strong>Gabriel Jesus</strong> and Eddie Nketiah for top spot in the Arsenal goalscoring charts, but I am backing the Brazilian to make an immediate impact in north London and ultimately claim the honour.</p>
<p><strong>Trent – </strong>Picking <strong>Gabriel Jesus</strong> is the easy choice. While the scoring was spread around last season, and I believe it will be again this year, Jesus is going to score many goals across all of our competitions. His goals will open up scoring for others, but I doubt anyone gets as many as he ends up with.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Signing of the summer? </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>Who’ll be our signing of the summer?</h2>
<div id="attachment_128035" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-128035" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1410540374.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410540374.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1410540374-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Oleksandr Zinchenko (R) made his Arsenal debut in Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>James – Gabriel Jesus</strong>. I love the move for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira will be excellent in time, but Jesus is a transformative signing. It’s a match made in heaven. He’ll win games for the Gunners on his own next season.</p>
<p><strong>Adam – </strong>Again, <strong>Gabriel Jesus</strong>, although Zinchenko could prove to be just as valuable. A toss-up between the two. We already know the qualities that Jesus is bringing to the starting XI and with Zinchenko, during his 45-minute cameo against Chelsea, his skills were on show as well. Given his versatility, the Ukrainian can be deployed at left-back or in midfield and he improves Arsenal in either position. For me, it will be hard to overlook Jesus as he will likely get all the plaudits, but Zinchenko is a decent shout as well.</p>
<p><strong>Mitch –</strong> Jesus is the obvious choice again but just to be different I’ll go with <strong>Zinchenko</strong>. The other new signing from Manchester City creates valuable cover and competition for Kieren Tierney which will massively reduce Arsenal’s reliance on the Scottsman. Not having KT at the back end of the season put a high dent in Arsenal’s top 4 hopes and the Ukrainian fullback is a fantastic player to fill the role and also play in other areas with his versatility.</p>
<p><strong>Kenneth – </strong>There will hopefully be stiff competition for best Arsenal signing this term and although Jesus is widely tipped to be the greatest success story, I suspect our other City acquisition could have an even bigger impact. Reports suggest <strong>Zinchenko</strong> was not first on the list of possible defensive reinforcements this summer, with interest in the Ukrainian appearing to intensify once Lisandro Martinez opted for Man United, and Kieran Tierney certainly has the quality to hold down the left-back position when he returns to full fitness. But the Scotsman has missed an alarming 29 matches for the Gunners over the last two campaigns and never seems to be too far away from medical misfortune. Therefore, Zinchenko may become a regular presence in the side and his considerable superiority over Nuno Tavares should make us a more formidable proposition when faced with injury layoffs.</p>
<p><strong>Trent –</strong> <strong>Jesus</strong> is, once again, an easy answer for this question, but Zinchenko is possibly as valuable and utilitarian. Jesus can play across the front three and <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/key-area-jesus-improves-arsenal/">tracks back like Alexandre Lacazette did</a>, which obviously helps us as an entire squad.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Surprise star? </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>The surprise star of the season?</h2>
<div id="attachment_127780" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127780" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/28/pita-arsenal-predictions-2022-23-season/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1407582724.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1407582724.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1407582724-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Sare our backing Sambi to enjoy a breakout year. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>James –</strong> I think many will be taken aback as to just how good <strong>Oleksandr Zinchenko</strong> is and how important he’ll be to Mikel Arteta in 2022/23.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p><strong>Adam –</strong> I feel like this could be a big year for <strong>Charlie Patino</strong>. He showed us glimpses of his talent last year with limited games available to him. Now, with the Europa League added to the Gunners’ schedule, there will be opportunities for him to showcase his ability. I expect him to be a starter in Arsenal’s cup competitions in the League and FA Cup, and he’ll likely get the odd start in Europe.</p>
<p><strong>Mitch – </strong>Sorry, I’m breaking the rules and choosing two for this one. I love these two players and I’m pumped to see them develop further. Jesus has taken a lot of headlines as Arsenal’s striker so far but <strong>Eddie Nketiah</strong> is that guy and he’ll ball out when he gets his chances. Taking the #14 shirt creates high expectations and I have no doubts that he’ll come good on those lofty goals. <strong>Sambi</strong> was still adapting to England last season and now that he’s got a year of Premier League experience under his belt I think he’s going to be incredible. He has shown flashes of what he can do and when he puts it together it was beautiful. I think we will see him more as an #8 this year than a #6 which could still be the long-term goal for him, who knows. Sambi has shown his skills to be great and I’m so excited for when he arrives.</p>
<p><strong>Kenneth – </strong>It is difficult to pinpoint one player who will spring a surprise such are the current high expectations at the club, but new signing <strong>Matt Turner</strong> could be one to watch as he assumes deputising duties for Aaron Ramsdale.</p>
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<p><strong>Trent – </strong>Back feeling bullish;<strong> Sambi Lokonga</strong> will be a revelation in his second year with the club. He has looked really positive in a more advanced role and looks capable of scoring and creating from that position.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">
