Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called on his players to develop a fierce inner drive as the club targets back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time in over nine decades.
The Gunners ended a 22-year wait for the top-flight crown last season, finally ending a painful period of near-misses and rebuilding under the Spanish manager.
Arteta has spoken of relishing the shift in dynamic that comes with being champions, describing the transition from hunter to “the hunted” as a challenge he is embracing.
The Arsenal boss wants his squad to channel that pressure into motivation, urging them to “create a monster inside” as they prepare to defend their title.
Arsenal begin their campaign at Emirates Stadium against newly-promoted Coventry City, with the weight of expectation higher than it has been at the club in a generation.
Prior to last season’s triumph, Arteta’s side had finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive years, making the eventual title win all the more significant for players and supporters alike.
The landscape across the division has shifted considerably heading into the new season, with nine new managers taking charge at Premier League clubs ahead of the campaign.
Among the most notable changes sees Enzo Maresca step in to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, a development that has added considerable intrigue to the title race.
Despite Arsenal being installed as favourites by many, Arteta’s ambitions stretch well beyond simply retaining the Premier League trophy and defending domestic supremacy.
The manager has revealed that both he and the club’s ownership share a broader vision, with the stated goal being to establish Arsenal as the best club in the world.
Should Arsenal succeed in defending their title, it would represent a historic achievement, with the club last retaining the top-flight championship back in the 1930s.
That era saw Arsenal claim a remarkable hat-trick of consecutive league titles across the 1932-33, 1933-34, and 1934-35 seasons, a period of dominance that has never been matched by the club since.
The gap of more than 90 years between title defences underlines just how significant this moment is in Arsenal’s modern history and how much is riding on the coming months.
