if arsenal End the 2025/26 season with trophies, most notably Premier League Or the Champions League, which they will likely have to thank for their strong squad depth.

Although the Gunners were not active in the winter transfer market, Andrea Berta and Kroenke spent a lot of energy improving the team in the summer.

Viktor Gyokeres is the most notable addition, but also provides the wherewithal to bolster every area of ​​the team. Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard add more luxury to the midfield, while Noni Maduek and Eberechi add some extra creativity and unpredictability to the forward line.

The defense hasn’t been overlooked, certainly not. In that area of ​​the pitch, Kepa Arrizabalaga arrives to serve as deputy to David Raya. Christian Mosquera and Piero Hincapi also walked through the door.

Every summer signing has played a key role so far, even Kepa Kepa, who helped the Gunners reach the Carabao Cup final.

How Arteta’s squad-building has improved Arsenal

It can be safely said that when Mikel Arteta After taking over Arsenal, the team’s situation was a bit chaotic. The team Emery left behind speaks for itself.

Defense is perhaps the biggest point of contention. The days of Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding are long gone. Right now, Arsenal’s defense is arguably the best in Europe.

Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are two of the best centre-backs in the world, having contributed 21 clean sheets in 39 games in 2025/26.

While Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli remain under Emery, there is also more meat on the bones of the forward line.

They did have to rely on Mikel Merino at the No. 9 position last season due to multiple injuries, but a year on, all their forwards are back fit. Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Jock Reis form a fine group of attacking talent.

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left, Alexandre Lacazette’s replacement option was Eddie Nketiah. The difference between then and now is clearly night and day.

However, it does mean that many in the Arsenal squad are struggling for the minutes they want.

The biggest loser from Arsenal’s squad depth

If those players in red and white wear Premier League winners’ medals in May, there won’t be many at the club who can complain about their lack of playing time.

Some prime suspects have emerged this season. Eberechi Eze – the scorer of the hat-trick against Tottenham – has barely started a game of football since and has so far been limited to league starts in 2026.

Ben White has also suffered at right-back, having made just five starts in the Premier League all season. That said, arguably the biggest loser of the campaign Miles Lewis Skelly.

He and Ethan Nwaneri emerged last season with a rather unique style, and while Nwaneri was always considered the star, Lewis-Skelly made himself irreplaceable, Known as “Future Captain” Club insider Arsenal hands.

Injuries to Ricardo Calafiore and Alexander Zinchenko meant the teenager played a lot of the game at left-back. From October 14 to the end of the season, he missed only two league games, one of which was due to suspension.

He also started both Champions League games against Real Madrid and both legs against Paris Saint-Germain. He has won rave reviews, especially from Rio Ferdinand, who, speaking at the Bernabeu against Arsenal, said: “His date of birth is correct, isn’t it? He looks calm, calm on and off the ball. He was on the phone before the game, just talking, and it was chilling. He’s special.”

It felt like the 19-year-old could do no wrong and he became a regular for the national team, scoring on his England debut.

If the 2024/25 season is the best season of his life, then the 2025/26 season is not. It’s important to remember that he’s still very young, but the amount of football he’s receiving this time around will be minimal, to say the least.

Calafiore’s early-season form meant there was no way out for him, and Hincapie’s arrival did little to improve Lewis Skelly’s game time.

He has only made one start in the top flight all season, a 2-1 win over Brighton on December 27. In 2026, he played only 33 minutes in the league and did not appear at all in the past four Premier League games.

The young Englishman started at least one of the Champions League games against Almaty and also started in the 4-1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth.

However, it feels like these games are the only type of games Arteta currently trusts him with. He is likely to start when the Gunners face Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup next weekend. Even that is uncertain, though, with Calafiore and Hincapie rotating between each other as first-choice left-backs. In fact, it was the former who started against Sunderland on Saturday, with Hincapie replacing him in the second half.

On this evidence, barring injury, we may not actually see Lewis Skelly start another game this season, especially in the Premier League.

There is no doubt that the teenage talent will have a brilliant career, but he is undoubtedly the biggest loser in Arsenal’s huge squad.

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