Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal to forget about a title challenge as the new Premier League season kicks off.
Arsenal’s fine campaign last term generated a genuine title battle with the near-peerless Manchester City, but now the Gunners have their work cut out to step up again.
And the Arsenal boss has told his players that they can ill afford to start thinking about a title battle before a ball has even been kicked.
“If we start to think about the championship on the first fixture, we’re going to burn our energy,” said Arteta.
“We have to focus on doing what we have to do to win matches and that’s it - go game by game.”
Gabriel Jesus’ continued recovery from knee surgery will hamper Arsenal’s start to the new season. Kai Havertz will likely feature through the middle against Forest tomorrow, as Arsenal look to hold the fort until the Brazilian striker returns, but Arteta insisted however he will continue to mull over his selection options up front.
Asked what factors come into play in terms of selecting a striker in Jesus’ absence, Arteta replied: “A lot. First of all, how they train. The state they are in and the feeling I have with them.
“How they react to certain decisions is really important as well. Then building relationships regarding the opponents’ qualities and setup that can empower our qualities to help us win the game.”
Arsenal edged out Manchester City to win the Community Shield on penalties last weekend, leaving Arteta pleased with that momentum boost ahead of the new campaign.
“Winning is the best energy booster that exists; it was great,” said Arteta.
“Everyone was so happy and it raises the confidence and trust levels of everybody for what we can do but understanding as well there are things we must do better.
“We can still play much better and the first game is going to be a completely different story with a different context. We’re going to need to be ready for that.”
