Arsenal Transfer News has been a hot topic in recent weeks, with the Gunners looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the new Premier League season. After two seasons of being runners-up in the Premier League, Arsenal are hoping to go one better this time around. And their quest to win their first top-flight title since the 2003-04 season began in encouraging fashion with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday.
Arsenal’s Title Ambitions
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains optimistic about his team’s chances of winning the title. “This is a new story, this season,” he said. “A beautiful one hopefully that we have to write from the beginning. This is the first chapter of that. Let’s write some beautiful ones.” The Gunners have been tipped by 11 of the 30 BBC TV and radio pundits to become champions, while former England striker Alan Shearer also believes Arteta’s side will triumph.
However, Shearer also thinks that Arsenal could do with another centre-forward to overcome a Manchester City side chasing a fifth consecutive Premier League crown. One player who could fill that role is Kai Havertz, who scored his first goal of the season against Wolves. Havertz’s relationship with Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s top scorer in the previous campaign, could provide plenty of encouragement if it continues to flourish.
Havertz and Saka’s Partnership
The England winger, who was the Gunners’ main inspiration against Wolves, laid on the opener with a superb ball in from the right. Germany international Havertz then repaid the favour after the break with a quick pass, albeit Saka still had plenty to do when he cut inside visiting left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. “Bukayo had an unbelievable action to make the score 2-0,” said Arteta.
Asked about his 22-year-old team-mate, Havertz added: “Saka is unbelievable. There are not a lot of players like him on the planet and he is still so young. He can get better. It is very rare to see a young player like this perform every week at the highest level.” The partnership between Havertz and Saka could be key to Arsenal’s title ambitions, and it will be interesting to see how it develops over the course of the season.
Arsenal’s Pre-Season Form
Arsenal missed out on the title by two points in May despite winning 16 of their final 18 games. However, while players are still getting up to speed after returning to training at different times in pre-season, they were still able to get the job done with the minimum of fuss against Wolves.
“Arsenal were comfortable,” said former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live. “They dominated the game in the first half, broke the press really well and created chances from the back. They looked like they picked up where they left off at the end of last season.”
Arsenal’s Dominant Display
Arteta’s side did not just enjoy more possession and create more scoring opportunities, they also covered eight kilometres more than their opponents on Saturday. “What I’ve seen is the willingness,” said the Spaniard. “Whether we’re going do it or not, we’ll have to show it every day in how we play and the results that we take away.”
Arsenal’s Fitness Levels
Winger Gabriel Martinelli also stressed Arsenal are determined to kick on after becoming the team closest to ending City’s top-flight domination in recent years. “This is the most difficult league in the world and we know how hard it is to play against City,” said the Brazil forward, 23.
“We believe in ourselves and we know our quality and will go for it.” Arsenal’s fitness levels were evident in their dominant display against Wolves, and it will be interesting to see how they maintain their intensity over the course of the season.
Can Arsenal Win the Title?
Plenty of pundits believe the north London side will be experienced enough now to prise the trophy away from City and hold off other challengers. “Arsenal took the title race right until the last game of the season, so they weren’t that far away,” added Shearer.
“And they are not that far away. Four titles in a row for Man City is an amazing achievement. To go again, to have that motivation…they have a genius in charge in Pep, for him to have that motivation to go again. I think I fancy Arsenal for the title.”
Dion Dublin, who was part of the Manchester United squad that claimed the inaugural Premier League crown in 1993, added: “I think Arsenal get even closer. I am thinking Arsenal [will challenge Man City].
“It is not if, it’s when – and I think Arsenal are probably the closest.” With the new season just getting underway, it will be interesting to see how Arsenal’s title ambitions develop over the course of the campaign.