According to reports, despite having just won the Premier League title last season, Arsenal players' determination to win the Premier League again remains undiminished, and they will be the target that other teams aim to challenge in the new season.

The report poses the question: can anyone stop Arsenal in the Premier League?

It seems too early to ask such a question now. The new season has just begun, with a total of 380 Premier League matches, starting this week under the lights at the Emirates Stadium and ending in May next year. There are many matches to be played this season.

It is also important to remember that in the last 34 years, only three managers have led their teams to back-to-back Premier League titles: Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, Jose Mourinho of Chelsea, and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City.

Usually, competitors regain their motivation and want to make up for last season's disappointment. As for the defending champions, beyond the fact that everyone wants to beat them, the biggest concern is whether the players, and even the manager, will be as committed in the new season as they were last season. In other words, is the hunger still there?

Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield last Sunday provided some answers, not only because of their goals and the significant margin of victory.

The movement, body language, and every challenge from Arsenal's players when not in possession showed remarkable commitment, and these details also illustrate the point. This is despite many fans still debating whether winning this competition truly counts as a trophy.

After the match, when a reporter mentioned that Gabriel, alongside fellow defender Ben White and new Arsenal recruit Bruno Guimarães, seemed to really enjoy competing and blocking, Arteta smiled.

Arsenal's manager said, "When you put your soul and heart into a performance, this is the result."

In the Community Shield, the signal was actually very clear: Arsenal fans may still be celebrating reclaiming the league title after 22 years, but Arteta and his players remain full of fighting spirit and ambition, determined to retain the trophy that the club has longed to win again for so long.

Arteta explained, "Because you want to experience it again. When that desire comes, I want to experience that moment again, I want to experience all those moments, even more intensely than before. We know what it takes, and we know how difficult this task is, which is why we have never done it at this club in the Premier League era. So we know it requires something special, and we are ready for it."

But are the other Premier League teams ready? With so many changes this summer, can a true challenger emerge from the usual title contenders? Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea have all changed managers, and Carrick will begin his first full season as Manchester United manager.

Unlike Arsenal, Arteta is now the longest-serving manager in the top four English leagues.

Against Manchester City, Arsenal played as they should: a well-oiled machine, with clear roles for each player and established patterns of movement – Calafiori pushing up from the left while Ben White overlaps on the right; at one point, both wing-backs nearly combined to create a goal. The team maintains competitive edge with a stable winning strategy. As for whether they scored against Manchester City from set pieces, the answer is no.

It is true that the Community Shield does not always accurately predict the season's outcome – before last Sunday's match, only 8 of the 34 Community Shield winners went on to win the Premier League title. In this year's opener, many players made their first club appearances of the summer following the World Cup. Haaland is certainly one of them, and barring injury, it is unlikely he will be substituted after 53 minutes again this season.

Similarly, at the Cardiff stadium, some more serious practical issues cannot be overlooked, particularly the significant difference in Manchester City's overall midfield performance when without Bernardo Silva and Rodri, who are in peak form. To describe it as a "different style" would be an understatement; frankly, not only is the overall strength of the team considerably diminished, but the midfield also loses the crucial leadership and organizational capabilities.

If Manchester City allows Rodri to leave this summer without making a targeted recruitment to fill the gap, the team's competitive prospects are almost unimaginable. Whether it is Enzo Fernández from Chelsea or another suitable candidate, the club must secure a reliable replacement.

In contrast, Arsenal has strengthened this key position, recruiting Guimarães from Newcastle for a transfer fee of £75 million. The other day, Merino openly commented that Arsenal now has a world-class midfield. Arteta smiled at this assessment, which was enough to show the approval of the team's management and coaching staff for the midfield improvement.

Guimarães already looks comfortable in Arsenal's colors, showing intelligence and resilience against Manchester City. However, his two midfield partners were crucial to the goals: Dani Ceballos provided a beautiful assist just 24 seconds after kick-off, setting up the opening goal; the brilliant Odegaard was involved in the second goal and elegantly scored the third.

Odegaard used a brilliant feint to deceive Donnarumma, leaving Manchester City's goalkeeper on the ground before easily slotting the ball into an empty net, prompting Arsenal fans to sing: "Can we play you every week?"

Minutes later, they sang again: "Are you Tottenham in disguise?"

This was a small snapshot of Arsenal's day. Fans cheered "ole" for each pass before the 60-minute mark, and mocked the short-term coaching prospects of Manchester City's new manager, Maresca. Even more delightful for them was Christos Tsolis, recruited from Club Brugge for £34 million, providing two assists on his competitive debut. Other than using French referee Clément Turpin as an emergency left wing, it is hard to imagine Arsenal finding a more perfect replacement for Trossard than Tsolis.

Meanwhile, David Raya continues to remind people with his feet and hands why he is one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. He can deliver a 40-yard pass with his feet, easily collect a cross from the air with his hands, and make a brilliant save late on, blocking a shot from Semenyo.

As the match gradually got out of hand, Arteta began making wholesale rotations, and Arsenal's squad depth was once again on display.

Saka, Rice, Zubimendi, Hincapié, Viktor Gyökeres, and Eze all came on as substitutes. World Cup winner Merino did not get playing time; young talent Douman also remained on the bench. As for Martinelli, Nwaneri, and Gabriel Jesus, they were not in the squad.

Nevertheless, Arsenal still has work to do in this transfer window. In defense, Mosquera and Gabriel played well together, but Arteta hopes to bring in a more mature center-back to fill Saliba's injured position; in attack, they have yet to recruit a top striker, and if Arsenal want to go further in the Champions League, this is almost certainly a position that must be addressed.

But at the Premier League level, Arsenal will once again be the team everyone wants to beat, a feeling that is hard to shake off.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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