There's something almost aggressive about the way Arsenal closed out 2025. The 4-1 demolition of Aston Villa on December 30—a Villa side riding an 11-match winning streak—wasn't just a statement. It was a declaration.
"It was a beautiful evening," Mikel Arteta said afterwards, his voice carrying the satisfaction of a man who'd just watched his side exorcise some demons. "We knew it was a very tough match to play. The second half, the way we started it was amazing. We really turned things up."
Now comes the hard part. 2026 stretches ahead like a tactical puzzle, each piece needing to slot precisely into place. Four competitions. A squad stretched by injuries. And a run of fixtures that could define the Arteta project once and for all.
🗓️ January 2026
| Date | Competition | Match | Time (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3 | Premier League | A Bournemouth vs Arsenal | 17:30 |
| Jan 8 ★ | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Liverpool | 20:00 |
| Jan 11 | FA Cup R3 | A Portsmouth vs Arsenal | 14:00 |
| Jan 14 ★ | Carabao Cup SF | A Chelsea vs Arsenal | 20:00 |
| Jan 17 | Premier League | A Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal | 17:30 |
| Jan 20 ★ | Champions League | A Inter Milan vs Arsenal | 20:00 |
| Jan 25 ★ | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Manchester United | 16:30 |
| Jan 28 | Champions League | H Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty | 20:00 |
| Jan 31 | Premier League | A Leeds United vs Arsenal | 15:00 |
🗓️ February 2026
| Date | Competition | Match | Time (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 3 | Carabao Cup SF | H Arsenal vs Chelsea | 20:00 |
| Feb 7 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Sunderland | 15:00 |
| Feb 12 | Premier League | A Brentford vs Arsenal | 20:00 |
| Feb 17-18 ★ | Champions League | Knockout Playoffs - 1st Leg | TBC |
| Feb 22 ★ | Premier League | A Tottenham vs Arsenal | 16:30 |
| Feb 24-25 ★ | Champions League | Knockout Playoffs - 2nd Leg | TBC |
| Feb 28 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Chelsea | 15:00 |
🗓️ March 2026
| Date | Competition | Match | Time (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 4 | Premier League | A Brighton vs Arsenal | 20:00 |
| Mar 10-11 ★ | Champions League | Round of 16 - 1st Leg | TBC |
| Mar 14 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Everton | 15:00 |
| Mar 17-18 ★ | Champions League | Round of 16 - 2nd Leg | TBC |
| Mar 21 | Premier League | A Wolves vs Arsenal | 15:00 |
| Mar 22 ★ | Carabao Cup | 🏆 FINAL - Wembley | TBC |
🗓️ April 2026
| Date | Competition | Match | Time (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7-8 ★ | Champions League | Quarter-finals - 1st Leg | TBC |
| Apr 11 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Bournemouth | 14:00 |
| Apr 14-15 ★ | Champions League | Quarter-finals - 2nd Leg | TBC |
| Apr 18 ★ | Premier League | A Manchester City vs Arsenal | 14:00 |
| Apr 25 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Newcastle | 14:00 |
| Apr 28-29 ★ | Champions League | Semi-finals - 1st Leg | TBC |
🗓️ May 2026
| Date | Competition | Match | Time (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Fulham | 14:00 |
| May 5-6 ★ | Champions League | Semi-finals - 2nd Leg | TBC |
| May 9 | Premier League | A West Ham vs Arsenal | 14:00 |
| May 17 | Premier League | H Arsenal vs Burnley | 14:00 |
| May 24 | Premier League | A Crystal Palace vs Arsenal | 15:00 |
| May 30 ★ | Champions League | 🏆 FINAL - Budapest (Puskás Aréna) | 20:00 |
⏰ All times in GMT/BST. Fixtures subject to change. Champions League knockout fixtures dependent on league phase finish. FA Cup and Carabao Cup fixtures dependent on results.
The January crucible
Nine matches in 29 days. That's what January looks like on paper. But numbers only tell part of the story.
The month effectively splits into three brutal sequences. First, the domestic warm-up: Bournemouth away on January 3 before Liverpool arrive at the Emirates five days later. Then the cup double-header—Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round, followed immediately by the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge.
Arteta has never hidden his desire for domestic cups. His FA Cup triumph in August 2020, achieved just eight months into the job, remains the foundational moment of his tenure. But the Chelsea ties present a different challenge. Enzo Maresca's side have found rhythm after a stuttering start, and two meetings in three weeks will demand serious tactical flexibility.
The third sequence is where things get properly interesting. Arsenal travel to the City Ground on January 17 to face a Nottingham Forest side that's been causing headaches all season. Three days later comes the San Siro.
Inter at the San Siro: the defining fixture
Inter Milan away on January 20. Write that date down.
The Nerazzurri knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League at this stage last season, winning both legs with the kind of defensive pragmatism that exposed every weakness in Arteta's setup. They were ruthless, experienced, and utterly unimpressed by Arsenal's build-up patterns.
Arsenal's league phase record suggests they should finish comfortably in the top eight, bypassing the knockout playoffs entirely. A win at the San Siro would all but guarantee automatic progression to the last 16. Lose, and the mathematics become significantly less comfortable.
The tactical challenge is enormous. Simone Inzaghi's 3-5-2 has been dismantling possession-based teams for years. Arsenal's high defensive line—already tested by Villa's direct running—will face perhaps its sternest examination of the season.
The north London derby factor
February 22. Tottenham away. The second north London derby of the season arrives during what could be the most congested period of Arsenal's calendar.
The first meeting, that extraordinary 3-0 win at the Emirates in November, showcased everything Arteta's side has become. But Spurs at home is a different proposition. White Hart Lane—and yes, I refuse to call it anything else—remains one of the league's most hostile environments, and Ange Postecoglou's side will be desperate for redemption.
The fixture's placement is brutal. It falls between potential Champions League playoff legs (if Arsenal finish 9th-24th in the league phase) and just six days before Chelsea arrive at the Emirates for the Premier League meeting. Three London derbies in 13 days is the kind of sequence that breaks squads.
The injury question
Here's the uncomfortable truth that hovers over every fixture analysis: Arsenal's depth has been tested to destruction this season.
Arteta addressed this directly before the Villa match: "We've had more injuries than expected, some of them not avoidable. When you look across the other clubs, they have 24 or 25 players. We want to be better, and we know how important having the right availability is going to be this season."
The January window represents a potential safety net. Sources close to the club, first reported by The Athletic, suggest Arteta has been granted flexibility to act if injury situations deteriorate further. The defensive crisis that saw Declan Rice deployed at right-back against Brighton has focused minds at boardroom level.
Viktor Gyökeres's arrival last summer was supposed to solve the forward concerns. And largely, it has—his movement and finishing have transformed Arsenal's attacking patterns. But the wider squad picture remains concerning. Jurriën Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Cristhian Mosquera have all missed significant time this season.
The title run-in
April and May will define everything. The trip to the Etihad on April 18 looms largest—a fixture that's decided the last two title races, both times in City's favour.
But this calendar looks different. Arsenal finish the season with five matches across 22 days, all theoretically winnable: Bournemouth at home, Manchester City away, Newcastle at home, then Fulham, West Ham, Burnley, and finally Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Should Arsenal still be competing in the Champions League by April, the fixture density becomes almost unmanageable. Quarter-final and semi-final legs sandwiched around league fixtures would demand rotation on a scale Arteta has historically resisted. His reluctance to trust his bench cost Arsenal in the 2023 and 2024 title races. This season, he simply won't have a choice.
Budapest awaits
The Champions League final takes place at the Puskás Aréna on May 30, 2026. It would be six days after Arsenal's final Premier League fixture at Selhurst Park.
Nobody at the club is publicly discussing European glory. That would be foolish. But privately, there's recognition that this might be the year. The squad is more experienced than the one that reached the quarter-finals last season. The mentality has hardened. And the memory of those Inter defeats burns.
The calendar shows the path. Now Arsenal have to walk it.
All fixture times subject to broadcast selection changes. Champions League knockout fixtures dependent on qualification progression. FA Cup and Carabao Cup fixtures dependent on results.
