Arsenal’s New Season Challenge: Build on Last Year’s Success
Stan and Josh Kroenke have thrown down a challenge to Arsenal’s support and their own club on the eve of a new Premier League season: enjoy the memories, then go and win even more.
On the night Arsenal begin the defence of their crown against Coventry City, the co-chairs used their joint programme notes to both savour a landmark year and demand that standards rise again.
“Etched in our hearts”
They called the 2025/26 campaign one that “will forever be etched in our hearts”, a season that finally snapped a 22-year wait for the Premier League title and saw Arsenal crowned FIFA Women’s World Champions. Two trophies, two fronts, one message: this is the new benchmark.
The Kroenkes lingered on the scenes that followed those triumphs. Lifting the trophy at Selhurst Park mattered, they said, but the real magic came afterwards — in the eruption of celebration from north London to every corner of the globe. The title party, the images of streets packed in red and white, were held up as proof of what they called the club’s unique bond with its worldwide fanbase, cutting across “borders, cultures and generations”.
They also circled back to the title parade through north London. After the sting of losing the Champions League final, that day was framed as a moment of healing, a unifying surge that pulled together players, staff and supporters when the season’s biggest disappointment could easily have overshadowed everything else.
“Champions don’t stand still”
The nostalgia stopped there. The tone hardened quickly.
“While we will cherish the memories of last season, our focus is now on building on our success this season and beyond. Champions don’t stand still, they evolve and keep moving forward,” the co-chairs wrote, making it clear that last year’s double triumph is a starting point, not a destination.
They pointed to the summer as evidence of that momentum. Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi and David Raya were all namechecked for their role in Spain’s World Cup win, underlining Arsenal’s growing influence on the international stage. The Community Shield victory over Manchester City was flagged too, a sharp early sign that the competitive edge has not dulled over the break.
Change in the squad, power in the market
There was also an honest nod to the churn that comes with success. The message acknowledged the departures of Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard, Jakub Kiwior, Karl Hein, Rosa Kafaji, Jenna Nighswonger and Laila Harbert, marking the end of their Arsenal chapters as the squad evolves again.
At the same time, the club’s recruitment drive took centre stage. The Kroenkes welcomed new Academy Director Pascal De Maesschalck, a key figure in shaping the next generation, and highlighted a string of summer signings across the men’s and women’s teams: Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis, Illan Meslier, Piero Hincapie, Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Selina Cerci, Geraldine Reuteler, Lisa Baum, Isabella Damm and Misa Rodriguez.
The list read like a statement: Arsenal intend to stay at the top, not visit.
A rallying cry before kick-off
With the Premier League title defence starting under the lights, the owners closed with a direct message to the stands and to those watching around the world. They thanked supporters for their “continued loyalty and support” and made no attempt to hide the scale of their ambition, hoping that by season’s end the club will be “celebrating wildly together again and going one (or more) better across our teams.”
The final line was simple, familiar and loaded with expectation as a new campaign begins: enjoy the game — and come on you Gunners.
