Barca stint may be Auba for ex-Gunner
Arteta says Arsenal are ready to push on
MIKEL ARTETA insists Arsenal are ready to go to a “different level” this season.
Arsenal kick off the Premier League with a tricky televised fixture London derby for the second year running when they go to Crystal Palace tonight.
Twelve months ago, Arteta’s (above) men endured a nightmare start with defeat at Brentford before losing to Chelsea and Manchester City which plunged the club into crisis.
This time, Arsenal go to Palace with fresh optimism, exciting signings and their sights set on pushing on from last year’s fifth-placed finish.
The fixture list never gets any easier and competition for the Champions League only gets tougher but Arsenal have bought big, made changes and have looked very sharp in pre-season.
Gunners boss Arteta said: “We are ready to go to a different level and I am convinced of that.
“What the other teams are doing is obvious, and others had already a much a stronger squad than we had, and they still recruited four or five, or some of them, seven players.
“This is not going to get any easier, so we can just focus on what we are trying to do, what we can do, because we cannot do everything at the same time, and we are confident that we’re going to be able to do it.”
Rivals
Manchester City signed Erling Haaland, Liverpool got Darwin Nunez, Chelsea bought Raheem Sterling and Tottenham have spent big on the likes of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Djed Spence.
Arsenal will not find it easy to break into the top four as their rivals have strengthened but Arteta has also bought quality with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from his former club Manchester City.
Arteta admits their winning mentality together with their experience and know-how were the key factors in why he wanted to recruit them.
“Yes, and that was the aim of it,” said Arteta.
“Those players have been inspired by top players, top professionals, ruthless winners for many years, and they were looking at them, and now it’s their turn to do the same.
“We want them to inspire those younger players that we have in our squad to do the same, and to show them what it takes to win, and the level of detail, hunger and dedication that you need to keep winning.”
Arsenal also have a new look in defence and last season they were at their best when they had a settled back four. William Saliba has returned from his loan at Marseille and has looked a class act in central defence alongside Gabriel.
Ben White has gone to rightback and Zinchenko is set to start the season at left-back with both
Takehiro Tomiyasu and
Kieran Tierney still coming back from injuries.
Adapted
Arteta said on Saliba: “I am really happy in how he’s adapted.
Obviously it’s always something that you have to see, spending a year away from here in a completely different league.
“But playing the amount of minutes that he played and the way you could see he was growing and developing, he gave us a lot of reasons that he could be the player that we need.
“And in the last few weeks, he’s given us every reason to believe that we made the right decision, loaning
“But now the ball starts to roll in a completely different context against a Premier League team and we know what to expect there.
Ambition
“But it’s true, we are with a level of energy and ambition to have a successful season and we have to show that on the pitch.”
Jesus, signed from the champions this summer for €53m, will shoulder much of the goalscoring burden, although Arteta is keen to ensure that particular responsibility is shared across the group.
“The role that Gabi has here is going to be very different to the role that Gabi had in his previous club. “That needs some adaptation and time and we are all surprised with how quickly he’s done it, but we have to share that responsibility. “He’s a tremendous talent with a mentality that is so contagious and he’s going to give us a lot, but it’s a team at the end of the day.”
BARCELONA are willing to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea.
And that could mean Aubayemang returns to the Premier League just seven months after Arsenal allowed him to leave on a free transfer.
The Spanish giants are desperate to balance the books after bringing in Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha to the Nou Camp.
Places
Barca boss Xavi doesn’t want Aubemeyang to leave but Lewandowski’s arrival has increased competition for places.
Thomas Tuchel worked with Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund but the Blues have not pressed the green light on the deal.
They are also ready to hijack Manchester United’s move for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong, whose departure has stalled.