‘What have I done to deserve this?’ – Arsenal tipped for horror start to new season

Mikel Arteta will be enduring a sense of déjà vu after Arsenal were handed a nightmare start to the new Premier League season.

The Gunners‘ slow start last year ultimately proved their undoing in the title race, and the club now face tough early tests next campaign.

Arsenal, who have been Premier League runners-up for three successive seasons, are desperate to go one step further in 2025/26.

However, the club will have to navigate brutal trips to Manchester United, Liverpool, and Newcastle in their first three away games.

The north Londoners failed to win on any of their visits to Old Trafford, Anfield, and St James’ Park last season.

Arteta’s side open their season on August 17 away to Man United, a venue where they have secured just seven league wins in 40 years, all of which have come in 1-0 victories.

Arsenal’s first home match will be against newly-promoted Leeds, before an early title-race six-pointer away at Liverpool on August 30.

Worryingly for the Gunners, their last Premier League win at Anfield came in 2011, with manager Arteta among the players on that day.

Arsenal’s relentless run refuses to let up in September, as they host Manchester City on September 20 before a trip to Newcastle a week later.

Alongside opening-day rivals Man United, Arsenal’s opening set of games is the hardest of any Premier League club, based on last season’s finishing positions of their first six opponents.

Alan Brazil told talkSPORT Breakfast: “Straight away, I look at Arsenal’s start and think, wow, that is tough.

Co-host Gabby Agbonlahor continued: “Man United away first game, first game at home, they’ll be lively, I’ve gone for a draw. Leeds at home, I’ve gone for a win, Liverpool away, a loss. Forest at home a narrow win, Man City at home a loss and Newcastle away – they don’t do well there, I’ve gone for a loss.

“So that’s seven points there from a possible 18 for Arsenal. That wouldn’t be a great start for them.”

Brazil replied: “How important it is that they get in that striker and get a good start. You look at those fixtures and think they could be chasing, chasing, chasing

He added: “Mikel must look at that and think ‘what have I done to deserve this?!’

Boxing legend and Everton-mad Tony Bellew joined the pair on Breakfast and jokingly provided a theory behind the scheduling.

He told talkSPORT: “I’ve seen Arsenal’s start and whoever’s given them that start is obviously a keen watcher of Arsenal Fan TV because every time I see that show there’s a breakdown – it’s a tough start it really is!”

In between their brutal opening six matches, Arsenal will also discover their Champions League opponents on August 28.

Their first two European encounters will come on either side of the double-header with domestic heavyweights Man City and Newcastle.

All of this will be a cause of great concern for Arteta, who can ill-afford his side making the same slip-ups that proved their downfall last season.

Arsenal dropped points in six of their opening 10 Premier League matches last term, while receiving three separate red card incidents.

It meant Liverpool were allowed to build-up a sizable points gap that ultimately proved too big for their rivals to overturn down the line.