admin Mikel Arteta has urged financially strong Arsenal to issue a mission statement ahead of the Premier League season when they take on three-time winners Manchester City in Sunday’s Community Shield.
Arteta’s side are looking to dethrone City and avenge last season’s painful defeat in the title fight. Arsenal now have their first chance to show they’re ready to play at 039 thanks to spending more than £200m ($254m) on England midfielder Declan Rice, Germany striker Kai Havertz and Dutch defender Jurrien Timber of the City to end, three years as champion.
Arsenal ended up just five points ahead of Pep Guardiola despite an eight-point lead in April and Gunners boss Arteta knows this weekend’s friendly at Wembley Stadium offers an opportunity to make a difference.
“For sure. After what we did last year, a lot of people are going to talk about what is next,” Arteta said.
“In the end, it will be about playing better and earning the right to win every match.
“We made some important signings, like other teams are doing, but when you are Arsenal, you have to handle that.”
The annual curtain rise on the English Premier League season isn’t always an accurate barometer of what’s to come, but it is the perfect prelude to the Premier League, which begins with City’s trip to Burnley on August 11.
Arsenal’s first leg is against Nottingham Forest the following day, in a rematch against the side that ended their title bid with a 1-0 win at the City Ground in May.
With Arsenal looking to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004, Guardiola’s side must prove they are still trophy hungry.
City cemented their status as one of the greatest English football clubs of all time, becoming the second English club to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in a single season last season, matching the success of Manchester United in 1998 Season /99.
Two months after Rodri’s goal sealed City’s long-awaited first Champions League crown against Inter Milan, Guardiola’s men are back in action as they attempt to produce an encore to their golden year.
City’s dynastic status ensures they are favourites to become the first English side to win the top-flight title four years in a row.
But there is one legitimate question hovering over the champions as they set off on their quest for a sixth title in seven seasons.
Can Guardiola refocus a squad potentially sated by so much success and possibly unsettled by close-season transfer movement?
City captain Ilkay Gundogan, a key member of Guardiola’s leadership group, has left for Barcelona and Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez has moved to Saudi club Al-Ahli.
Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte have also been linked with moves away from the Etihad Stadium.
Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic has arrived from Chelsea to replace Gundogan and Joao Cancelo is back following a surprise loan move to Bayern Munich last season reportedly sparked by a row with Guardiola.
The club are understood to have agreed a fee with RB Leipzig for highly rated Croatia international defender Josko Gvardiol.
As well as handling the transfer merry-go-round, the obsessive Guardiola surely spent his summer holidays fretting over City’s ability to avoid a treble hangover.
Jack Grealish’s wild celebrations revealed the sense of fulfilment and relief felt by Guardiola’s players at the climax of an incredible season.
But if there is concern about City’s ability to stay hungry, Guardiola must have been relieved to hear Ruben Dias’s recent rallying cry.
“Even though this team has won a lot in the past few seasons, we are still hungry and we are still here to win again and again,” defender Dias said.
“Actions speak louder than words. We can say what we want but all that matters is what we do when the games start.
“The mentality is there with everyone who belongs to the club.” AFP
