You sense that Arsenal have been wishing the last 89 days away. From the moment his squad came up to Mikel Arteta at their end of season gathering, telling him they were ready to take the final step to the Premier League summit.
In the cruel afterglow of their final day win over Everton, an ultimately insignificant result as Manchester City held firm elsewhere, the first team squad gathered with family, colleagues and key power brokers at the Emirates Stadium — including vice chair Josh Kroenke — for an event in central London that might so easily have turned into a wake. Instead, it gave Arteta all the belief he needed that his squad are ready to destroy the margins that separate them from the Premier League summit.
Arteta recalled the meeting ahead of Arsenal’s season opener against Wolverhampton.
“We had a gathering together with all the club players and the players were saying to me ‘we’re going to be better, we’re going to do it, we want more.’ They are the ones driving that ambition. That’s always positive.
“Everybody was talking about the same thing, that we are not going to stop here and that we want much more. We know the things that we can still do better and how the players can still evolve. How we have evolved as a club is huge as well. How we feel playing at Emirates Stadium is another one [of the areas we have evolved].
“Those margins are huge and we have to really, really use them.”
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Certainly ever since that final day Arsenal have had the look of a squad hell bent on improvement. Even before Euro 2024 was over, Arteta was gathering those of his squad not on international duty for a pre-preseason in Marbella. Speaking from that warm weather camp, captain Martin Odegaard spoke of his side’s determination to set the pace from the outset this year. Anyone who has seen the energy with which they have attacked their friendlies in recent weeks would not dispute that this attitude has been transported onto the field.
A year ago Arsenal were a curious title contender, one that had ripped out two-thirds of its midfield, ditching their beloved goalkeeper in pursuit of higher ceilings and floors. That took time to come right, not until 2024 did they take on the look of a champion in waiting.
This time that should be different. The squad is being honed rather than overhauled, Riccardo Calafiori the only permanent signing even as they are locked in negotiations for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino. Takehiro Tomiyasu is the only potential starter who is certain to be unavailable for Saturday’s visit of Wolves. Jurrien Timber has overcome the minor loading issue with his foot to take part in training while Fabio Vieira’s hip injury was due to be assessed on Friday afternoon. Arsenal’s Euro 2024 finalists returned a week earlier than Manchester City’s, there will be no Rodri-like rest for Bukayo Saka or David Raya.
Arsenal look good to go and their manager seems to believe that the third time will indeed be the charm.
“We are really excited,” said Arteta. “We’ve been missing the competition for many weeks, too long for us. We’re so willing to start, really enthusiastic about it.
“It’s like you’re trying to climb the highest mountain, the most difficult leap in the world and you’re surrounded by people trying to achieve the same ambition. We’re certainly going to try.”
A team that won more games and scored more goals than in any other Premier League season know that they have to do better. The Invincibles high watermark of 90 points will have to go. “Break more of those records again,” said Arteta when asked what it would take to win the title, “earn more points for sure.
“It won’t be enough. With the level we are competing with and every season is getting harder. We are going to have to improve again.”
