The Premier League player’s impact has been noted following the club’s win in the 2025–26 season, showcasing the influence of sports science in achieving excellence within the sport of football. Zafar Iqbal is the British Pakistani professional and is currently the Head of Sport Medicine at Arsenal. He was brought into the club in 2024, and has been a part of a high-performance machine that helped Arsenal to their title triumph.
The credit for the success of a player or a team is usually given to the players and coaches, but the backroom crew, including Dr Zafar, deserves a lot of credit for keeping players fit and decreasing the risk of injury during the long season. Dr Zafar is a renowned international sports medicine physician, who hails from Gojra and has a family background in Sahiwal. Prior to his time at Arsenal, he had been at Liverpool, and at Crystal Palace. Playing at some of the premier footballing clubs around the world exposed him to high intensity football and contemporary methods of injury management.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Arsenal impact on title is also a reflection of the increased role of medical and performance departments in football. The consistency on the pitch is directly affected by managing player workload and recovery cycles as well as injury prevention. A high level of fitness was a key factor in Arsenal’s title success as they kept their players fit through critical periods.
Dr Zafar has also had the opportunity to work with English cricketers from Pakistan on fitness and rehabilitation aspects beyond football. This cross-sport experience enhances his depth of knowledge, and his versatility in the world of sports is showcased.
