Arsenal are well placed to retain their Premier League crown this season and win the title once more.
That is the opinion of experienced former Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Gunners will kick off the new season on Friday when they host newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are easily the most settled side expected to be in contention for the title, and will go in as massive favourites to defend it.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham have all changed their manager this year, and the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been torn apart in the transfer window.
Arsenal laid down an early marker when they thumped Man City 3-0 in the Community Shield last week.
The Champions come home pic.twitter.com/xswlgMCiEw
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2026
Arsenal’s ‘confidence must be sky high’
After finally ending their 22-year wait for the Premier League title, there will undoubtedly be confidence in North London.
The Gunners have added talented winger Christos Tzolis, Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, and are set to sign Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
But Mikel Arteta will be well aware that expectations ultimately mean nothing, and that complacency can be a killer.
After a staggering summer last year, Liverpool were the overwhelming favourites to retain their Premier League trophy before they ultimately fell away.
“I’ve said Arsenal, to be honest. I think Arsenal could retain the title,” King told Football Insider. “When you look at the players they started with and the players on the bench, Christ alive, that’s a strong squad of players.
“And that’s what you need. If you’re going to retain the championship -that’s what happened with United and City and Arsenal in the [Arsene] Wenger days. You need that quality, you need that experience and you also need that blend of young players.
“So, for me, I think Arsenal will retain the title. It would need an earthquake or an avalanche to stop all those players being fit as such. I mean, confidence must be sky high now, going into Friday. But it’s always a banana skin, isn’t it? Team come up, first home game.
“It’ll be interesting to gauge exactly where Arsenal are going to be, but I think they will retain the championship.”
Supercomputer backs Bryan King
Unsurprisingly, Opta’s supercomputer has also backed Arsenal to win the Premier League once again.
Arteta’s side have been given a 40.62 per chance of defending the title, with their closest competitors thought to be Man City at 19.60 per cent.
After that are Liverpool at 9.16 per cent, Man United at 6.55 per cent and Villa at 4.43 per cent.
There is a fair amount of excitement surrounding Xabi Alonso’s project at Chelsea after a big summer, yet the supercomputer has given the London club just a 3.78 per cent chance of winning the title.
