Premier League title race set to be all-timer with EIGHT teams in contention, claims Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
The
TEN
points behind champions Liverpool last term – cementing a runners-up spot for the third season on the bounce.
7
Mikel Arteta reckons the Premier League title race could feature eight teams
Credit: Getty
7
Arsenal were left heartbroken after yet another second-placed finish last season
Credit: Getty
7
Liverpool will be tough to beat as they look to retain their crown having invested heavily this summer
Credit: AFP
Five years into his North London reign with just one FA Cup triumph to show for it,
But according to the Spaniard, this upcoming campaign will be the toughest yet, anticipating one of the most hotly-contested title races in Prem history.
Europa League winners
READ MORE SPORT STORIES
Arteta is confident Arsenal will be in the mix – on course to spend £200m in the transfer window – but explained: 'It is getting more and more competitive each year.
'The level is increasing. We know that so our demands have to increase as well.
'Every year we have to see how things develop but I see the right balance in terms of maturity, experience, youth, hunger and all these ingredients are there.
'The thing is there are another six, seven, eight clubs in the league that have the right ingredients to win and there is only going to be one winner.
Most read in Football
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
'So, we have to focus a lot on the things that we can control, that we can do, to achieve what we want at the end of the season.'
Midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, back-up keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and winger Noni Madueke have all signed up to Arsenal project.
Rain lashes down in Singapore as Arsenal are forced to cancel first pre-season training session
And Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres - as well as Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera - are both on the verge of joining for a combined £80m.
Arsenal have targeted elite match-winners in the market so far, having also fallen short in the Champions League with an agonising semi-final defeat to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain back in May.
Arteta continued: 'The only thing that [the players] were talking about at the end of last season and the first day back through the door is 'OK, how are we going to be better?'
'How are we going to do more? We know that we are so close now in two big competitions and we just want to make the next step.
'There are going to be a lot of details and moments that have to go our way. We have to push for that to happen.
'We have been very active in the market, but we have to improve the players we already have, which is a massive objective.
'And then, set the right fundamentals and the right principles in pre-season to get the team ready with the best possible shape and availability to start the season.'
7
Arteta is confident Arsenal will finally conclude a deal for Viktor Gyokeres
Credit: Getty
7
Arsenal have been bolstered by the arrival of Martin Zubimendi, who is with the Gunners on their tour of Singapore
Credit: Getty
7
Noni Madueke is another reinforcement brought in by Arteta this summer
Credit: Getty
Zubimendi and Madueke were described as
But Arteta is not keen on this classification, admitting that last season's struggles with long-term injuries to key players – such as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz – has opened his eyes to the bigger picture.
He said: 'The Tier 1, 2, 3 system, I don't believe in that much now. I'll change it.
'The way the game's evolving, the demands we put in with 70, 75 games per season, we want to build a team, like other clubs already have.
'When you look at the squad and you cannot really identify who is going to play, if you get to that point, that's what we want.
'Last year, the line-up was: 'Give me five players who can finish 90 minutes'. We played like this for seven months. We need to get away from that.
'Those restrictions limited our capacity to perform and then have the freshness that we need at the end of the season. Hopefully this season is going to be very different.'
7
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
17 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Gyokeres the Arsenal answer? 'If there's a shooting drill, he wants to win it.'
Dalibor Savic saw plenty of top talents come and go during his time coaching the youth sides at Swedish club Brommapojkarna, but says there is one thing that set new Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres apart from most. Gyokeres has ended a long-running transfer saga by finally completing his move to Arsenal in a deal worth €63m plus another €10m in possible add-ons, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract. Former head coach of the Brommapojkarna under-19 and under-21 sides, Savic coached Gyokeres during his coming through as a youngster. Other notable graduates from the club include Tottenham duo Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall, as well as a host of other current and former Sweden internationals. Savic admits Gyokeres was not the most technically gifted talent at the club as a teenager, but says the 27-year-old's mentality and desire is what has got him to this point. 'His biggest talent is that he's so determined and focused and stubborn,' Savic explains. 'And he doesn't give up, because many players maybe stop dreaming about Premier League when you reach the age of 27, but he keeps working for it and tries to be a better player every week and every day. 'Everybody knew that Viktor was going to be a top player, but reaching these clubs that we're talking about, the Premier League or Serie A or La Liga or Ligue 1, the top, top, top clubs, you can never predict that. 'I think that all of us coaches, we're just a small part of his football journey. We're just a small part of putting him in the right position to work with his strengths, trying to give him advice. 'But all the hard work comes from Viktor, with the extra training, with the extra determination, extra focus.' Gyokeres moved to Brighton & Hove Albion after leaving his native Sweden but failed to break through at the club, and was loaned out to German side St Pauli, Swansea City and then Coventry City, where he would join permanently in 2021. It was his performances in the Championship which earned him a move to Champions League club Sporting CP. There, he would rapidly establish himself as one of the top strikers in Europe, scoring 97 goals in 102 games for the club in all competitions. 'I think he made the right choice going to Portugal and going to one of the better clubs there, maybe the best club,' Savic says. 'I mean, if you score like 44 goals or whatever he did in one season, you're dominating the game. 'And with his physicality and always being in the box, finishing with the left foot, with the right foot. And of course, Sporting Lisbon is creating, I don't know, 15, 20 chances per game. He's probably going to score one or two per game. 'So I think it was wise for him to go to a minor league, but to a top club. If you remember Henrik Larsson, he went from Feyenoord to Celtic playing in the biggest and the best club in Scotland and grew as a player to be an important player and an important goal scorer.' Arsenal's injury crisis paired with a shortage of attacking options led to boss Mikel Arteta having to play central midfielder Mikel Merino up front for a large stretch of the previous campaign, including in their Champions League semi-final clash with PSG in which they managed just one goal across the two legs. Gyokeres has been brought in as the answer to Arsenal's shortage of goals compared with their rivals, with boss Mikel Arteta hoping he can provide the missing link which will take his side from nearly men to trophy winners. Savic says Gyokeres' hunger to win, which was evident from such a young age, bodes well for the Gunners. 'When you have that mentality, as Viktor had, if we had a game and we lost it, he was mad, he was upset, he didn't like it and he always wanted to win the next game,' he said. 'I don't want to say he's not fun to be around, he's always fun to be around because he's a good teammate. I think he's humble, I think coaches like him, I think the other players like him, but he wants to win. 'If there's a shooting drill, he wants to win it. If it's a running drill, he wants to win it. So I think this mentality is what has taken him to the top level of football because I had a lot of talented players who'd stop working, you know, because they were talented, but they didn't have the mentality that you need to have to reach top level.' The challenge now, Savic says, is for Gyokeres to show he is the world class talent he always dreamt he would be when he was playing for Brommapojkarna. 'Of course, everybody knows that Viktor is a top-level player, top striker in Europe right now. But the question is, is he a world-class player? And I think this is what he needs to prove by coming to Arsenal."
The Irish Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Viktor Gyokeres reveals why he REJECTED Man Utd transfer to sign for Arsenal in £63.5million deal
VIKTOR GYOKERES has explained why he decided to join Arsenal over Manchester United. The Swede, 27, completed a £63.5million move to the Gunners from Sporting CP earlier today. 4 Viktor Gyokeres has completed his protracted move to Arsenal Credit: Getty 4 Gyokeres, 27, has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners Credit: Getty Gyokeres also received summer interest from But despite his working relationship with United's Portuguese manager, the striker Old Trafford to sign for Arsenal. Upon joining the Gunners, Gyokeres lifted the lid on his thought process. The READ MORE IN FOOTBALL "What I heard from Mikel [Arteta] and Andrea [Berta] when I was speaking with them, and just what I've seen in the past years, how they've been playing football. "When I was playing against Arsenal last season, I could really feel it was a very strong team and very difficult to play against. "That made me choose Arsenal, and of course all the history the club has and the massive fanbase. "It's been amazing to see all the support that they have already given me before I even arrived. That's what it's all about. It's going to be very nice to see them in the stadiums as well." Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 4 Gyokeres has explained his move to Arsenal Credit: Getty Gyokeres has signed a five-year deal worth around £300,000 a week at Arsenal. The former Brighton, Swansea and Coventry forward has been handed the No14 shirt at the Emirates, made famous by club icon Thierry Henry. Viktor Gyokeres set to wear iconic Arsenal shirt number number with debut against TOTTENHAM after £63.5million transfer Gyokeres could make his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt against next Thursday. Upon completing the marquee signing, boss "The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves. 'Viktor has so many qualities. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels. "He brings a clinical edge with a high conversion rate of chances into goals, with his intelligent movement in the box making him a constant threat. 'We're excited about what Viktor brings to our squad and are looking forward to start working with him. 'We welcome Viktor and his family to Arsenal.' 4
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Keen racing fan Lady Victoria Starmer beams in delight as she backs winner at Ascot
IT was the thrill of the race for Lady Victoria Starmer as she raises a fist in delight after backing a winner at Ascot. PM Sir Keir's wife, 51, was seen clutching a betting slip as she cheered on 9-4 favourite Fitzella to success in the 4 Lady Victoria Starmer raises a fist in delight after backing a winner at Ascot Credit: Max Mumby 4 Lady Victoria celebrating her success with two women around her Credit: Cover Images Lady Victoria, known as a keen racing fan, had also backed 20-1 Sukanya, which finished seventh. But that did not dampen her mood as she celebrating her success with two women around her. An onlooker said: 'Nothing dampened Victoria's mood. 'She was having a whale of a time, was cheering and shouting, and seemed completely at home. 'She is known for loving a day at the races and was delighted at picking a winner. 'She seemed to be studying the form intently and waved to the crowds after the race as she held onto her betting slip, her phone and an Ascot programme. 'People were joking that Victoria seemed to be having a better time that her husband who is struggling at Number 10.' Victoria's mother Barbara is from Doncaster, and her grandmother lived on the edge of the town's famous racecourse. Most read in The Sun Starmer's wife Lady Victoria went from asking 'who the f*** does he think he is' to incoming PM's right-hand woman 4 Sir Keir's wife was seen clutching a betting slip Credit: Getty 4 She cheered on 9-4 favourite Fitzella to success in the Princess Margaret Stakes Credit: Getty
