Arteta attended the Premier League pre-match press conference, where he discussed topics such as team preparation, transfers, and injuries.

Asked about the feeling of starting the new season as defending champions, Arteta said: "I feel good, different from before, and I hope to feel even better. I am more excited and eager to win than ever. I can't wait to start the Premier League journey in front of our home fans, play brilliantly, and win the game."

When asked what it takes to defend the title, Arteta said: "The teams that contend for the title all have extremely high standards and can maintain their top form every day. We now have that opportunity. I have no doubt that our players have the desire and ambition to defend the title. But this qualification needs us to strive for it every day and fulfill it with action."

Regarding the topic of signing defenders, Arteta stated: "We are indeed very active in the transfer market, as I mentioned a few days ago. Our goal is to strengthen the squad. There is a clear personnel gap in the defense, especially with Saliba's long-term injury. We still lack a defender, which is obvious. So we are working to strengthen this position. Once everything is ready, we will announce the relevant news."

When asked if the signings were close to completion, Arteta said: "I am always positive and confident. But some things are not under my control, nor do they depend solely on us. We want to strengthen the defense and will do our best to achieve that goal."

Regarding the potential departure of long-serving players, Arteta said: "This is a very, very difficult time, and you have to face reality. But you need to approach it with sincerity and honesty, because when you are in the players' shoes, that's what they need. You might not like what you hear, but if those words are true, realistic, and honest, and can help you make better decisions and plan the next step of your career more clearly, then communication is essential. Such conversations are always hard to initiate, but they must happen. If a player feels they no longer belong here, are no longer important, and want to start a new chapter, I think two-way communication is indispensable. We all know that everything has a beginning and an end. When a journey comes to an end, our duty and responsibility are to handle it in the best way, always respecting and acknowledging the players, maintaining good relationships, but also understanding that ultimately we have to make football decisions."

Regarding the playing time arrangements for squad players, Arteta said: "I can't reveal the specific details; we are talking to each player to understand their thoughts. I want the squad depth to be as strong as possible because we know what goals we are pursuing and how long the season is. We will learn from past lessons, especially last season, when we were in trouble with two or three players in the same position getting injured consecutively. So the more squad depth, the better. We must manage the squad. But at the same time, we also need to make players feel important and valued, and to achieve this, they need to get playing time."

When asked if players face greater pressure this season, Arteta said: "We need to stay calm and take things step by step, because this will be a long marathon. We need to show more desire and ambition than last season, than a month ago, than when we played Manchester City a week ago. We have the ability to improve and grow, and that's the atmosphere I feel at the club, especially among the players."

Regarding the team's past record at home against newly promoted teams, Arteta said: "I think every game is different, and we will face a very strong opponent. Coventry's achievements as a club are extraordinary, and Frank has done an excellent job coaching. After so many years away from the Premier League, they convincingly earned promotion. They fully deserve to be here, and I admire their style of play and the courage they show in every game."

Speaking about Lampard's coaching at Coventry, Arteta said: "It's incredible. I've watched many of their games, and I know all the relevant data. I know what it was like to play against him back then, and I remember his time at Chelsea. His coaching achievements are remarkable, and I believe they will show their ambition in Friday's game. We are prepared and know what kind of opponent we will face."

When asked if he had time to enjoy the joy of winning the title, Arteta said: "Yes, I enjoyed the moment of winning the title, and I thoroughly reviewed the past season; I did everything I needed to do. This summer has been long, longer than our usual off-season. I am now full of energy and motivation, and I can feel the enthusiasm throughout the club, which is exactly the state I want to be in."

Regarding the difficulty of defending the title, Arteta said: "We will find out. We haven't done it before, so I can't give you a precise answer. I have relevant experience, but in a different capacity. As I said before, the key is how much you give every day, how you set the standards, and how you push yourself day after day to be in the desired position at the end of May, to give yourself another chance to win the title."

When asked about the reasons for his and Lampard's success over the past 12 months, Arteta said: "Perhaps it's because we both have a passion and love for this sport, and that love can enrich a person and give purpose to your life. That's why my colleagues and I do this job; it brings me so much joy and happiness, and it's a very fulfilling part of my life. I truly enjoy it."

Speaking about facing Lampard, Arteta said: "I've seen some videos of us on the field. He was such a brilliant player back then, definitely one of my favorite midfielders. He could do everything in midfield; he was a top, top player."

When asked if Saka and Rice would be available, Arteta said: "Yes, they are ready and can be in the squad for the game."

When asked if Timber would participate in full training this week, Arteta said: "No, I said it would be in a few weeks. He's not training with the full squad yet."

Regarding the ideal squad size, Arteta said: "It depends on player availability and injury history. I think there are many influencing factors. 22 players plus 3 to 4 goalkeepers might be enough, or we might need more. We need to consider last season's situation, players' injury records, and some players' versatility across multiple positions. I believe we will find the right squad size: balancing squad depth and healthy competition, maintaining a good collaborative atmosphere in the team, and making everyone feel important."

Regarding the competition in midfield after Bruno's arrival, Arteta said: "Yes, that's what new signings bring: new energy, and they are eager to prove themselves, which certainly brings competition. When you have players with both quality and leadership, including Tsolis and Meslier, their performance from day one, I believe, will raise everyone's level."

Speaking about Bruno Guimaraes' physical condition, Arteta said: "Let's see his situation; he's recovering well, but whether he can play tomorrow remains to be seen."

Regarding the team's improvement in seeking a better goal difference, Arteta said: "The more dominant we are, the greater our goal difference advantage, the better. To achieve this, we must do better in every aspect. To do that, we need to keep the squad together for longer than last season to expand our winning advantage."

When asked if Lewis-Skelly would still be an Arsenal player after the transfer window closes, Arteta said: "One hundred percent."

When asked if Arsenal was not good at selling players, Arteta said: "There's no good or bad in this; it depends on the players you have and the available selling options. Considering the quality, ability, contract status, and desire to stay of our current players, we may have done very well in selling players. One problem you might encounter is that you want to make adjustments for certain players, but they are happy here and want to stay. Selling players requires many conditions, and in my opinion, it's not that simple."

When asked if the team needs to sell players before buying, Arteta said: "That also depends on sporting performance. I don't think any club in Europe has achieved such growth in team valuation, on-field performance, and revenue as Arsenal has; it's a remarkable achievement. Some clubs might need to sell players to raise money, but the way we operate has significantly improved the club's level and financial strength."

When asked if being defending champions would make them a target, Arteta said: "Not starting today, because tomorrow we will start from scratch and prove again that we have the ability to return to that position. It's been like this for the past three seasons: we've been at the top, and we've been chasing, and you never know which situation is better. If I had to choose, I'd want to be first, to be chased by other teams, to control my own destiny, rather than depending on others."

When asked if the home atmosphere would change after winning the title, Arteta said: "I think the home atmosphere has been evolving over the years, three or four years ago, two years ago, and last year. When you come very close to winning the title but don't, that atmosphere and the fear of losing again can restrict you. But when I saw the fans' emotions during the title celebration and parade, I am very confident that we will have the best stadium and the best home atmosphere in the world, and if we do that, we will be closer to achieving our goals again."

When asked about the importance of retaining academy players, Arteta said: "Of course. Players who grow up in our system genuinely feel a love and connection to the club, which brings something different. There's no doubt about that; we need to take special care of them because the value they bring is hard to find elsewhere. So whenever we have the opportunity, we will protect these assets as much as possible, develop them, and let them become extremely important members of the club."

Regarding the topic of loaning players to other Premier League teams, Arteta said: "It depends on the specific situation. These players must also be ready to establish themselves in the Premier League and get regular playing time. Our primary goal is for them to get experience and playing time, and you have to ensure the other party can guarantee that. In this league, how many clubs, teams, and managers can guarantee regular playing time to a young player with almost no experience? If we can find such a destination, that's great because that's the level we want them to compete at. But sometimes they need to take a different path to development. The beauty of football is that development paths can be completely different, but ultimately they can all reach the same heights."

Regarding his message to Australian fans, Arteta said: "I have a very special connection with that country; I've been there and I love it. One of my best friends, Tim Cahill, is Australian, so I know a lot about it."

Regarding the feeling of being title favorites, Arteta said: "It doesn't matter. Our friends didn't bring the supercomputer today, nor the data we often see! That's just how it is. I think our 'supercomputer' is maintaining high standards every day, steadily securing an advantageous position through hard work day in and day out, playing and performing the way we want, and building connections with the fans. If we can do all that, I believe we will be very close to our goal, and then fate will decide the outcome."

When asked about the team's determination to defend the title, Arteta said: "I can guarantee you with my life that we absolutely want to defend the title, and the players are fully willing to achieve this goal. But we need to prove this on the field, through our actions throughout the season, how we respond, how we overcome different challenges, and how we seize opportunities, to prove whether we are capable of doing it."

Speaking about Calafiori's versatility across multiple positions, Arteta said: "Every player has very unique qualities. Ricky has a special energy and aura that makes him stand out. But Hincapie is also excellent, and his characteristics are completely different from Calafiori's. I want Calafiori to be himself, and Hincapie to be himself, because having both of them makes us much stronger. They complement each other, each providing different qualities, and that's what we strive for when building our squad."

When asked if transfer rumors made his job harder, Arteta said: "Honestly, no, because I basically don't read these rumors. I mostly hear about them from others, especially Dan or Kate will tell me what's happening, and my kids will ask me 'Are you going to sign this player? How close are we to him?' For other matters, I only focus on the information I get from Andrea and the board, understanding the progress of transfers, and knowing what we can and cannot do."

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