Honestly, if you're an Arsenal fan, your heart rate is probably already spiking. We’re sitting at the top of the table in mid-January 2026, six points clear of Manchester City, but the air feels thin. It's that familiar, nervous energy. Mikel Arteta has the boys firing, and that 3-2 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg earlier this week kept the quadruple dream alive—barely. But look at the calendar. The Arsenal next 5 matches are a brutal, beautiful gauntlet that spans the Premier League, the Champions League, and the heavy weight of expectation.
One slip. That's all it takes. City are playing United at Old Trafford in the early kickoff today, and if they drop points, the door swings wide open. If they win? The pressure on Arsenal’s trip to the City Ground tonight becomes almost suffocating. This isn't just a run of games; it's a defining month for a squad trying to end a 22-year wait for league glory.
The Forest Trap and a Trip to San Siro
Tonight’s game against Nottingham Forest (January 17) feels like a classic "banana skin" fixture. Sean Dyche has Forest organized, even if they’ve been struggling for goals lately. They’re coming off a nightmare FA Cup exit to Wrexham, which means they’ll be desperate to prove something under the lights at the City Ground. For Arsenal, the big news is the defensive reshuffle.
Piero Hincapié is the name on everyone's lips. He picked up that groin issue against Liverpool on January 8, and while he’s traveled with the squad, Arteta was typically cagey in his Friday presser. "It might be time," was all he'd give us. With Riccardo Calafiori out for "several more weeks" and Cristhian Mosquera still recovering from an ankle injury, the backline is looking a bit thin. We’ve been incredibly solid—not conceding three goals in a single game since December 2023—but Dyche’s teams love to scrap for set-pieces.
Then, things go global.
Three days after Forest, the Gunners are in Milan. Inter Milan vs Arsenal (January 20) at the San Siro is easily the pick of the Champions League league phase. We're currently sitting pretty at the top of the UCL standings, but Inter at home is a different beast entirely. It’s a game of chess. Arteta vs Inzaghi. You've got to wonder if Mikel rotates here, or if he goes full strength to secure that top-eight seeding and avoid the playoff round.
The United Headache at the Emirates
Once the Italian job is done, it's straight back to North London for a massive clash against Manchester United (January 25). This is the one fans have circled in red. United are unpredictable in 2026, but they always seem to find an extra gear when they see an Arsenal shirt.
Playing at the Emirates should be an advantage, but the turnaround from Milan is tight. We're talking five days to recover, tactical prep, and dealing with the physical toll of a high-intensity European night. If Hincapié isn't 100% by then, dealing with United’s pace on the counter could be a nightmare. Ben White and Gabriel are going to have to be perfect.
The fourth game in this run is a bit of a statistical anomaly: Arsenal vs FC Kairat (January 28) in the Champions League. On paper? A blowout. In reality? A potential trap. It’s a home game against a side from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The travel for them is brutal, but for Arsenal, it's about focus. It’s the kind of game where you want to be 3-0 up by halftime so you can pull Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard off the pitch and wrap them in cotton wool. Saka has been immense lately—5 goal contributions in his last 5 games against Forest alone—and keeping him fresh for the final stretch of the season is non-negotiable.
Ending January at Elland Road
The final leg of the Arsenal next 5 matches takes us to Yorkshire. Leeds United vs Arsenal (January 31) at Elland Road. There is no such thing as a "quiet" game at Leeds. The atmosphere will be hostile, the pitch will be fast, and it’s a 3 p.m. Saturday kickoff that isn't even on UK TV.
By the time this match rolls around, we’ll know exactly where the title race stands. If Arsenal come through Forest, United, and Leeds with nine points, the six-point gap over City starts to look like a canyon. But Leeds are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table. They’ll run until their lungs burn.
Breaking Down the Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17 | Nottingham Forest | Premier League | City Ground |
| Jan 20 | Inter Milan | Champions League | San Siro |
| Jan 25 | Manchester United | Premier League | Emirates Stadium |
| Jan 28 | FC Kairat | Champions League | Emirates Stadium |
| Jan 31 | Leeds United | Premier League | Elland Road |
Why the Defensive Crisis Matters Now
It’s easy to look at the fixtures and see wins, but the injury list is starting to bite. Max Dowman is out with ankle ligament damage. Mosquera is weeks away. Calafiori is a long-term absentee. Basically, Arteta is one more injury away from having to play academy kids in a title race.
The silver lining is the organization. Even with the rotating cast at the back, Arsenal’s structure is elite. They squeeze the pitch, they win the ball back high, and they don't let teams breathe. But Inter Milan and Manchester United aren't Portsmouth or Brighton. They have the individual quality to punish a lapse in concentration.
You’ve also got the Carabao Cup second leg against Chelsea looming on February 3. It’s a relentless cycle of Saturday-Tuesday-Sunday-Wednesday. Honestly, the medical staff at Sobha Realty Training Centre are probably more important than the coaching staff right now. Keeping Declan Rice and William Saliba fit is the difference between a trophy parade and a "what if" documentary.
Navigating the Path Forward
The next three weeks are about survival as much as they are about points. To stay top of the league and keep the momentum, the squad needs to manage the physical load of the Inter and United games specifically.
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- Trust the depth: If Hincapié isn't ready for Forest, don't rush him. The United game is the priority for his return.
- Rotation against Kairat: Use the home Champions League tie to give minutes to the bench. We need the stars fresh for the Elland Road trip.
- Ignore the City noise: Guardiola’s side will likely win most of their games. Arsenal cannot afford to look at the City results; they have to maintain the six-point cushion through their own performances.
Watch for the team news an hour before kickoff tonight. If we see a settled back four, there's every reason to be confident. If it's a patchwork quilt of a defense, expect a nervy evening in Nottingham. One thing is certain: by the time the whistle blows at Elland Road on the 31st, we’ll know if this Arsenal team has the steel to go all the way.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the official Premier League injury updates and the midweek Champions League press conferences, as European results will directly dictate how Arteta approaches the domestic rotation in February.