The parallels between this season's Premier League opener and last campaign's curtain-raiser are eerily similar for Arsenal. An away London derby, on a Friday night, under the lights, with the world watching. We all know how it turned out last year at Brentford, but this time around there is cautious optimism that they can avoid history repeating itself.
"We are all enthusiastic," said Mikel Arteta when asked in his pre-match press conference about the mood of his camp. "We had the pre-season we wanted, it was well organised, we had good results, good preparation good performances, but now the ball starts to roll tomorrow evening in a completely different context and against a Premier League team and we know what to expect there. It’s true we have a high level of energy and ambition to have a successful season and we have to show that on the pitch tomorrow night."
Despite having ultimately failed in their goal of reaching the Champions League last season the atmosphere around Arsenal is irresistibly positive. The arrivals of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in particular have plugged serious gaps in the squad, while pre-season yielded six victories from a possible seven, with 24 goals scored along the way. Now though, comes a real test.
