From huge victories to clean sheet wins, our overall record finished at P59 W38 D12 L9 F114 A45 - meaning we won more games than in 2024, although we played nine more matches. We also scored the same number of goals in 2025 as we did in 2024. 

We competed across four fronts during the calendar year, reaching the semi-finals of both the Champions League and Carabao Cup. We end 2025 sitting top of both the Premier League and the Champions League group stage, and return to the Carabao Cup final four for a third time under Mikel Arteta.

Wins to nil, goals from set pieces and much more were achieved during the year, so as we start getting excited for 2026, let's look back at the year that was 2025!

set piece again

We couldn't help but see out 2025 with another set-piece goal. Gabriel Magalhaes beat Emiliano Martinez to open the scoring against Aston Villa from Bukayo Saka's corner - it was a theme that we saw through the past 12 months.

In doing so, we became just the second team to score 20+ set-piece goals (excluding penalties) in consecutive years in the Premier League (21 in 2024, 20 in 2025), after Wimbledon between 1993 and 1996.

It wasn't just corners where we showed our potency. We netted 17 goals from outside the box, with two coming in our final game against Aston Villa. On top of that, we scored two direct free-kicks, which came in the same match as Declan Rice produced two moments of brilliance against Real Madrid to help clinch a 3-0 victory.

Our most common scoreline was 2-0, 2-1 and 1-1, all achieved on eight occasions - the most recent a 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on December 27.

wins to nil

Clean sheets have been a key part of our success in 2025. We conceded the fewest goals in 2024/25 and have started the 2025/26 season by doing the same thing. 

Only once in our history have we won more games to nil, which came in 1971 when we produced 28 wins with a shutout. The last of our 23 wins to nil in 2025 came on our first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium where we defeated Everton 1-0 thanks to a Viktor Gyokeres penalty.

Our win percentage of 63% in 2025 also goes into the top 10 of highest win percentages in a calendar year. 1932 still remains the highest at 70%, with 2024 running close behind at 68%. The total of 37 victories also means 2025 secures features in the top 10 of most wins in a calendar year. 

We have only won more games in one other years: 2002, when we won 40 of 60 games. In 1971, we also won 39 times, but in 61 matches. We've won 37 games across a 12-month period on three other occasions: 2015, 2009 and 2004.

The Players: History makers

We used 35 players across the entirety of 2025, one shy of last year's tally of 36. There were debuts for 13 players, including Max Dowman, who made history by becoming our youngest ever starter when, at 15 years and 302 days old, he was named in the starting XI against Brighton in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Max had already made history against Leeds in August, becoming the second youngest player in Premier League history, with only teammate Ethan Nwaneri appearing in the competition at a younger age.

Declan Rice led the way in terms of matches played, turning out 56 times, starting 48 of those. Four other players also reached a half-century of appearances in 2025, including David Raya, who played the most minutes, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber.

Leo was top of the charts for goal involvements, picking up 25 goals and assists. He finished level in the standings in top goals alongside Mikel Merino, who flourished in his new role as a striker. 

No player made more successful passes than William Saliba (3043), Jurrien Timber (115) led the way on most tackles and Myles Lewis-Skelly drew the most fouls (91). 

Elsewhere, Mikel Merino won the most duels (91), Bukayo Saka led the way for shots on target, 38, and dribbles completed, 50, while Declan Rice led the way in chances created with 96.

monthly breakdown

Since the start of the 2025/26 season, we've lost just two matches, seeing us end the calendar year in a strong position. We remained unbeaten in four of the 10 months we played - including a 100 per cent record in October 2025, winning all six matches without conceding a single goal. 

That record extended into November with shutouts against Burnley and Slavia Prague, meaning we matched our best streak of clean sheets in our history, with eight in a row recorded back in 1903 across two Second Division campaigns. 

The run in October also saw us become the first English top-flight team in history to play six games in a month and win them all without conceding a single goal, surpassing the feats of five other teams who achieved five wins to nil, including George Allison’s title-winning team of 1934/35.

leading the way

We played 39 Premier League games in 2025, and ended on top of the yearly league table for a second year in a row, three clear of Manchester City, having played two more matches.

We took 83 points, with a goal difference of +41. We conceded 14 fewer goals than any other side, and were joint-second top scorers with 71.

Stats and Facts

With thanks to Opta