Mikel Arteta has said he is relishing the prospect of going from the hunter to “the hunted” as Arsenal aim to defend their Premier League crown.
The Gunners ended a 22-year wait to become champions last season and begin the task of retaining the trophy against newly-promoted Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on Friday.
Arteta’s side finished second for three consecutive years prior to May’s triumph and with nine new managers across the division — including Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City — Arsenal start this new campaign as favourites.
Asked if they start this season with a target on their backs, Arteta said on Thursday: “Today, no because we start from scratch, from zero tomorrow, and we are going to have to prove we have the level to go back to that position again.
“But that happened in the last three seasons. Sometimes we were first, sometimes we were chasing it and you never know what is better. If you give me the choice, I want to be first, I want to be hunted and in control of our future rather than depending on somebody else.”
Arteta confirmed Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are “fit to be involved” after managing hamstring and Achilles issues respectively during England‘s World Cup campaign but Bruno Guimarães is a doubt after he was substituted at half-time of last Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, re-emerging with ice strapped to his right thigh.
Arteta also ruled out the possibility of Myles Lewis-Skelly leaving the club this summer despite recent speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea or Manchester United.
Sources have told ESPN that the 19-year-old is committed to the Gunners and wants to fight for his first-team place and when asked if he was confident Lewis-Skelly would remain part of his squad after the transfer window closes on Sept. 1, Arteta replied: “100 per cent.”
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