Arsenal’s strange mood swing: title joy turns to job cuts and tension

In football, success is supposed to breed bliss. Yet at Arsenal, the picture off the pitch now looks a lot less rosy than the silverware cabinet suggests. Five months after winning the Premier League, there are fresh claims that morale has “plummeted” behind the scenes as the club prepares for a round of cuts.

The Telegraph’s Sam Dean reports that 60 jobs are at risk of redundancy, with several experienced figures already gone or set to depart in the coming months. For a club celebrating on-field glory and boasting record revenues, it is a brutal look — and one that will not sit easily with supporters who expect the feel-good factor to run right through the organisation.

Success on the pitch, uncertainty off it

Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have become one of Europe’s most polished sides, reaching last season’s Champions League final and now standing as genuine heavyweights again. Arteta has just signed a major new contract, too, which underlines how securely the football side is being run. But there is a clear split here: the team at London Colney is operating in a world of stability, while other departments are bracing for upheaval.

That contrast is exactly what makes this story sting. When a club is thriving, people assume everyone benefits. But football finances are rarely that simple. Arsenal have reportedly made seven straight years of losses, and the club’s hierarchy appears to be treating the business like any other major corporation: trim the fat, tighten the belt, and keep the machine moving.

Why Arsenal are still cutting despite the trophies

According to Dean’s reporting, the changes would have been coming regardless of the league title. Richard Garlick’s appointment as chief executive in September 2025 triggered an operational review, while Boston Consulting Group have also been involved in shaping the changes. In plain English, this is not just a knee-jerk reaction — it is part of a wider restructuring.

Still, timing matters in football, and this timing is awkward. Winning the league should have created a wave of optimism across the club, but instead there is talk of job insecurity and internal strain. As Dean notes, success can boost Arsenal’s image and long-term earning power, but it does not instantly fix the balance sheet. In fact, with the bonus structure involved, it can apparently be more profitable in the short term to finish second than to win the lot. That is the sort of financial quirk that makes supporters roll their eyes.

Arteta was asked about the redundancies last week and, quite understandably, swerved the issue: “This question is not for me. Obviously I am not the right person to answer that question.” Fair enough. He is paid to manage the football, not to front the corporate cull.

But for Josh Kroenke, Garlick, and anyone else in the executive line, some clarity would go a long way. Fans can forgive a lot when results are flying, but they do not like the smell of chaos — and cost-cutting after a title win certainly leaves one. If Arsenal are serious about presenting themselves as one family, then they will need to show it when the awkward questions start coming.

For those looking at the broader football landscape — or even checking out best betting sites for the latest odds — Arsenal remain a force to be reckoned with on the pitch. Off it, though, there is clearly some housekeeping to be done.