For the first time in 22 years, Arsenal head into a new Premier League season as defending champions. Retaining the title is the objective for Mikel Arteta's men this term, but Arsenal will have a target on their backs and must try to conquer the fact that they have not successfully defended the championship since the 1930s.
The latest Arsenal odds nevertheless have Arteta's team down as favourites to finish top. There are other ways to bet on the Gunners too: there are Arsenal betting odds for numerous different markets, many of which we explore in this article.
ð Odds on Arsenal to win the league
Here is the lay of the Premier League land according to the bookies:
- Arsenal - 8/11 with Sky Bet
- Man City - 9/4 with BOYLE Sports
- Chelsea - 4/1 with Betfred
- Liverpool - 28/1 with BetMGM
- Man United - 50/1 with Paddy Power
- Aston Villa - 125/1 with William Hill
*Odds correct at time of writing, and are subject to change.
Having finished as runners-up in each of the three previous seasons, Arsenal finally got over the line in the Premier League title race in 2025/26. There were a few nervous moments along the way, but in the end Mikel Arteta's charges finished seven points clear of Manchester City. Their success was built on a rock-solid defence, with Arsenal conceding the fewest goals and keeping the most clean sheets.
Arsenal have not won back-to-back titles for almost a century, and the fact they are desperate to make up for last season's defeat in the Champions League final could affect their Premier League campaign. But Arsenal's squad is the strongest in the division and they showed last season that they are able to compete on multiple fronts.
One positive for Arsenal is that all their title rivals are in transition to varying degrees. Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have all changed their managers in 2026, whereas Arteta is approaching seven years at the Emirates Stadium. That continuity has shown, with Arsenal winning each of their opening four league games.
Having added to a title-winning team, Arsenal are favourites to retain the Premier League, and they have started the way champions are supposed to, with three clean sheets in those four wins and a goal difference of plus seven. The picture can still change quickly if one of their rivals goes on a run, but only Manchester City have matched them.
Not only that, over at Coral, new customers can score boosted odds of 50/1 on the Gunners to finish in the top two, paid in free bets if it lands. As we get into below, a top-two finish should be the bare minimum for the North Londoners this season.
ð How Arsenal can retain their Premier League crown
These are some of the factors that will determine whether or not this is a successful season for Arsenal.
ð¨âÂÂð¼ ArsenalâÂÂs current squad and manager
Arsenal won the Premier League title last season because they had the meanest defence in the division, and because they developed a knack for grinding out results and edging tight matches. They scored plenty of goals from set-pieces, with their routines often smart and inventive.
There is a good amount of depth in virtually every part of the Arsenal squad. Keeping the likes of Declan Rice, David Raya and Gabriel Magalhães fit will be important, but the Gunners showed last season that they can still pick up points when some key men are either out injured or off form. They also did a good job of sharing the goals around, with Viktor Gyökeres their top scorer with a relatively modest return of 14.
Pep Guardiola's departure from Manchester City leaves Arteta as one of the longest-serving managers in the division, and his continued presence in the dugout gives Arsenal an advantage over their fellow title competitors in terms of continuity and familiarity.
ð¤ Transfer activity - ins and outs
| Net transfer spend | ã139.2m |
Arsenal have, in effect, traded the 31-year-old Leandro Trossard for a younger model in Christos Tzolis, who will celebrate his 25th birthday in January. Bruno Guimarães is an upgrade on Christian Nørgaard and has already made himself a regular in the centre of the park, scoring the opener at Sunderland.
Arsenal's business finished there. Bradley Barcola was top of their wish list for the attacking role, but Liverpool paid ã123 million for the Paris Saint-Germain forward, and Arsenal did not add another attacker before the window shut. Whether that becomes a problem depends on how many goals Viktor Gyökeres can find.
ðÂÂÂ︠Key fixtures in the 2026/27 season
Arsenal came through both of their early tests, winning 1-0 at Aston Villa through Bukayo Saka and then beating Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates six days later. A 2-0 win at Sunderland followed, David Raya saving an Enzo Le Fée penalty two minutes before Guimarães broke the deadlock.
Arsenal will travel to Liverpool on 31st October, with their first meeting with Manchester City taking place at the end of November. On 5th December, we will see the first edition of the north London derby.
The reverse fixture against Tottenham Hotspur will be held on 1st May, but 2027 brings away games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. Arsenal's run-in looks favourable on paper, featuring clashes with Leeds United (away), Nottingham Forest (home), Everton (away) and Brighton & Hove Albion (home).
Arsenal odds in other outright markets
Our favourite football betting sites are providing several different outright markets, each offering odds on Arsenal, so there are plenty of options to bet on them outside of the Premier League title question.
ðÂ¥ Arsenal trophy multiples
Arsenal were a penalty shootout away from winning the Champions League as well as the Premier League last term. Mikel Arteta's side will once again be targeting success on multiple fronts, but we do not see them quite getting over the line in Europe.
However, retaining the title while winning a domestic cup would make for a successful season for Arsenal, who have the squad depth to triumph in more than one competition. Arteta could target the EFL Cup, which has the advantage of being done and dusted before the run-in.
The perfect start has already cut this one sharply, from 13/2 to 4/1.
â½ Back Arsenal to win the Premier League title and the EFL Cup at 4/1 with bet365 â½
ðÂ¥ Arsenal to finish in the top two
A top-two finish should be the bare minimum for the North Londoners this season, and the market agrees. Arsenal are as short as 2/9 to manage it, which tells you how much work a rival would have to do to push them down to third.
It is not a bet with much room in it, but it is the cleanest way to back a side who have taken maximum points without needing to win the title outright.
â½ Tip Arsenal to be top of the Premier League on Christmas Day at 2/9 with BOYLE Sports â½
ðÂ¥ Top London club
As a result of winning the Premier League title in 2025/26, Arsenal were by default the top-performing London club. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will be aiming to unseat their present supremacy in the capital, but Arsenal are, for good reason, strong favourites in this market.
The Premier League currently contains six teams from London, but none of Fulham, Brentford or Crystal Palace will be able to get close to Arsenal. Beating Chelsea at the Emirates was the clearest early evidence, and Tottenham are yet to score a league goal.
â½ Go for Arsenal to finish as the Premier LeagueâÂÂs top London side at 1/3 with Betway â½
ð Top scorer
Erling Haaland is the obvious favourite to win the Golden Boot once again, but Arsenal will hope one of their players can challenge. Viktor Gyökeres was their chief goal-getter with 14 league goals, and no other Arsenal player managed more than seven.
Gyökeres remains their best hope of supplying the division's top scorer, but Saka is the one who has started scoring, with the winner at Villa Park and a stoppage-time penalty at Sunderland. His price has drifted from 25/1 to 66/1 even so, which reflects how quickly the players at the top of the market have pulled clear rather than anything Saka has done wrong.
Failing to sign another attacker means more of the load falls on both of them than Arteta would have planned for.
â½︠Tip Bukayo Saka to finish as the Premier LeagueâÂÂs top scorer at 66/1 with Ladbrokes â½ï¸Â
FAQs about Arsenal ahead of the 2026/27 season
1. Who are ArsenalâÂÂs key players as they aim to retain the Premier League title?
David Raya was the Premier League's best goalkeeper in 2025/26 and he will be integral to Arsenal's chances of another successful season, as his penalty save at Sunderland showed.
The same is true of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, who form the division's strongest centre-back duo, though Saliba's back problem means that pairing will not be seen for some time.
Declan Rice is the heartbeat of the Arsenal side in midfield, where Martin ÃÂdegaard provides the creativity. Finally, Bukayo Saka is Arsenal's standout attacking player despite a mixed season last time out.
2. Who are likely to be ArsenalâÂÂs main rivals for the Premier League and other domestic competitions?
Manchester City finished as runners-up to Arsenal last term and they will probably be their biggest challengers once more in 2026/27. City have lost Pep Guardiola, but their squad is strong and Enzo Maresca is an astute replacement, with both sides having won each of their opening four.
Liverpool will hope to get closer to top spot under Andoni Iraola, while Manchester United made vast strides with Michael Carrick in the dugout in the second half of last season. Neither has started quickly enough to be considered a rival yet.
3. When are the best times to lock in the best odds for Arsenal in the markets mentioned in this article?
The odds on Arsenal to win the league shift frequently throughout the season in response to on-field and off-field events, and the best of the value has already gone. Arsenal were 5/6 before a ball was kicked and are 8/11 now.
The pre-season argument for waiting was that Rice, Saliba and Saka were all doubtful. Rice and Saka both started at Villa Park, Saka scored the winner, and Arsenal have taken maximum points. The absence that has materialised is Saliba, out for months with a back problem, with Jurriën Timber also some way from returning.
The fixtures are the argument for patience now. Brighton away, then a run of tougher games either side of the international breaks, and any dropped points there would lengthen a price that has only shortened so far.
ð Read more about the Premier League during the 2026/27 season
- Premier League winner odds
- Premier League top 4 odds
- Premier League relegation odds
- Premier League referees
- Golden Boot odds
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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