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.
The Gunners have been tipped by 11 of the 30 OceanNewsUK to become champions, while former England striker
Alan Shearer also believes Mikel Arteta's side will triumph - even though he
thinks they could do with another centre-forward to overcome a Manchester City
side chasing a fifth consecutive Premier League crown.
Arsenal manager Arteta remains optimistic as he said:
"This is a new story, this season.
"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."
'Unbelievable' Saka and Havertz steal show
It took Kai Havertz until the 25th November last year to
score a goal in open play for Arsenal - his first season at the club.
This term, it took him just 25 minutes to get up and
running.
And with there being no arrival of a new centre-forward in
the current transfer window, Havertz's relationship with Bukayo Saka -
Arsenal's top scorer in the previous campaign - could provide plenty of
encouragement if it continues to flourish.
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.
"With good players it's like that. With [Lionel] Messi,
I know he's going to come in and do that, but you can't stop him."
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."
'They picked up where they left off last season'
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 OceanNewsUK.
"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."
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. 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," the Spaniard added.
'We believe in ourselves and know our quality'
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."
So can Arsenal do it? 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, who helped
Blackburn become the English champions in 1994-95.
"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."
