Ahead of the new campaign, Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to demonstrate the hunger required to retain their Premier League crown. He also made clear that Myles Lewis-Skelly will not leave the club during the current transfer window.
Arsenal begin their title defence at home to Coventry on Friday evening, aiming to win consecutive league championships for the first time since the 1930s. Arteta’s team have recorded victories in 17 of their past 18 meetings with newly promoted opponents. They are also unbeaten in 45 such matches at the Emirates, with their most recent defeat coming in November 2010.
Arsenal will be widely expected to open the season with a convincing win, particularly after defeating Manchester City in the Community Shield. However, Arteta believes his players must prepare for a different type of test. “We have to remain calm and allow things to develop naturally because this season will be a long journey,” he said. “We must display the determination and ambition to improve on last season, last month and even our performance against Man City a week ago. This team can continue growing and evolving, and that belief is evident throughout the club, especially among the players.”
When asked if Arsenal would start the campaign as the team everyone wanted to beat, Arteta said: “Not at this moment, because everyone begins again and we must show that we deserve to return to the top. We experienced different situations during the past three seasons—sometimes leading and sometimes pursuing the leaders—and it is difficult to say which position is preferable. If I could choose, I would rather be first, have the other teams chasing us and keep our destiny in our own hands instead of relying on someone else.”
Lewis-Skelly was reportedly made available to Manchester United and Chelsea earlier in the transfer window as Arsenal looked to generate funds following Bruno Guimarães’s £75m arrival from Newcastle. The 19-year-old academy product delivered an excellent midfield display against City in Cardiff on Sunday, having also started in that position against Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League final. Arteta said he was “100%” certain that the youngster would stay at Arsenal.
“Footballers who develop within our academy and build a genuine affection and bond with the club offer something unique,” Arteta said. “They deserve special care because they provide a kind of value that is extremely difficult to replace. Whenever possible, we want to safeguard those players, support their development and help them become central figures for the club.”
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