By the end of 2024-25, Arsenal supporters must have grown sick to the back teeth of that same old ditty. Fans of teams far, far below their position in the Premier League table were rocking up to the Emirates Stadium and singing 'second again, ole ole'. Indeed, the Gunners were on their way to another second-place finish, tying the record they themselves set in the days of Arsene Wenger for most consecutive runners-up placements in English top-flight history.
We can throw all of the valid excuses out there to defend Arsenal's campaign, be they injury-related or otherwise, but ultimately history will deem last season as a failure. Mikel Arteta recognised that in a vengeful and aggressive speech after their last home game, while he also made reference to transfer plans after their Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
"For me it's crystal clear what we have to do, to be better and to increase the probability [of winning]," he said. "Nobody can say 'you do this and you win the league, or you win the Champions League'. No manager, no owner is going to sit in a press conference in front of everybody and say that, because the margin is so small, and not only that but a lot of things have to go your way to achieve that."
So what do Arsenal need to actually do? What are the tasks awaiting new sporting director Andrea Berta? GOAL breaks down who should come in, who should leave and more...