The champions face Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester City, Brentford and Tottenham in a brutal five-week stretch that could reveal plenty about their title defence.
Arsenal waited 22 years to become champions again. The next challenge comes with a much shorter turnaround. Between 1 November and 5 December, Mikel Arteta’s side face Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, with promoted Hull City the only interruption. Nobody wins the title in November, but Arsenal could learn an awful lot about their defence of it in those five weeks.
November Offers Almost No Room to Breathe
The sequence is striking because of the concentration of difficult away days. Four of the six matches are on the road, beginning at Anfield and ending with trips to Brentford and Tottenham only three days apart. Even the two home dates offer contrast, with newly promoted Hull followed three weeks later by Manchester City.
| Date | Fixture |
| 1 November | Liverpool v Arsenal |
| 7 November | Arsenal v Hull City |
| 21 November | Newcastle United v Arsenal |
| 28 November | Arsenal v Manchester City |
| 2 December | Brentford v Arsenal |
| 5 December | Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal |
For supporters hoping to be there for part of this run, choosing where to go presents its own question. Anfield, St James’ Park and Tottenham offer three of the season’s standout away days, while City brings the biggest home fixture of the sequence to the Emirates. Fans weighing up those possibilities can compare listings for each match through SeatPick’s arsenal tickets page and its partner marketplaces.
Anfield Starts a Very Different Kind of Examination
Liverpool away on 1 November sets the tone. Andoni Iraola has inherited a side only two seasons removed from winning the league, so Arsenal will encounter an opponent with its own ambitions rather than another staging post in their title defence. Two league matches later comes St James’ Park, where Arsenal needed late goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win last September.
Hull at the Emirates sits between those trips and deserves more respect than the fixture list might initially invite. Newly promoted sides can be difficult to read in the opening months, and Hull will have had three months of Premier League football by the time they visit north London. Dropping points in the apparent respite would make the matches around it still less forgiving.
City at Home Carries a Different Weight
Manchester City visit the Emirates on 28 November, one of the standout home dates in this demanding run. Of Arsenal’s two home matches across the six fixtures, SeatPick’s current listings put City comfortably ahead of Hull for average ticket cost, offering one indication of the greater demand surrounding a game which might well be pivotal. Arsenal have already beaten City 3-0 in the Community Shield, although a late-summer win in Cardiff will count for little once league points are at stake. By the time the sides meet again, both should have a much better idea of what their title ambitions look like.
The timing adds another layer. Arsenal will have returned from Newcastle seven days earlier and face Brentford four days later, leaving Arteta with decisions over how hard he can lean on the same players. Managing those workloads could become as important as anything drawn on the tactics board.
Brentford and Spurs Could Be the Awkward Part
The Gtech Community Stadium provided a warning as recently as February. Arsenal went there as league leaders and left with a 1-1 draw after Keane Lewis-Potter cancelled out Noni Madueke’s opener. Brentford created enough trouble that evening to remove any temptation to regard the short journey across London as routine.
Three days later Arsenal are due across north London to play Tottenham. A derby at the end of this sequence asks a different question from City at home or Liverpool at Anfield, particularly with so little recovery time after Brentford. By then, physical freshness and Arteta’s use of his squad could have a sizeable influence on what happens.
Arsenal Have Built for Weeks Like This
There is at least greater continuity around Arteta’s squad than around several of Arsenal’s rivals. The champions have added Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis, while the core that finally finished the job last season remains familiar. That should help when selection becomes less about finding a best XI and more about choosing the right one for a particular evening.
Availability remains the complication. Arsenal’s previous two seasons were disrupted by injuries and William Saliba enters this campaign facing an extended absence. A demanding domestic schedule, potentially accompanied by Champions League football, will expose any shortage of depth quickly.
What Could Arsenal Know by 5 December?
Arsenal spent three seasons finishing second before finally crossing the line. Retaining the title presents a different challenge, with opponents now measuring themselves against the champions. Come 5 December, the table will still have months left to run, but Arsenal may already have shown whether they are equipped to set the pace for another title race.
FAQ
When does Arsenal’s difficult run begin?
It starts away to Liverpool on 1 November. The sequence continues through November before finishing at Tottenham on 5 December. Six Premier League fixtures fall within the period.
How many away matches are in the sequence?
Four of the six are away from the Emirates. Arsenal visit Liverpool, Newcastle United, Brentford and Tottenham. Hull City and Manchester City are the two home opponents.
Can fans compare tickets for these Arsenal fixtures?
Yes. SeatPick lists Arsenal home and away fixtures and compares available ticket listings from its partner marketplaces. That includes the matches across this November and early December run. Fans can therefore compare listings for individual fixtures within the sequence.
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