Mikel Arteta has been asked whether Arsenal’s current squad is strong enough to dominate the Premier League, with the London club preparing to begin their campaign against Coventry on Friday.
The Arsenal manager was questioned about his team’s level ahead of the new league season and whether the players at his disposal could enable the Gunners to establish sustained control of the competition.
Arsenal will open their Premier League campaign at home to Coventry, with the fixture scheduled to begin at 22:00 Moscow time.
The question put to Arteta focused on the scale of Arsenal’s ambitions and the capability of the squad assembled at the club. Rather than simply assessing their prospects for the opening match, the issue concerned whether the team could impose itself across the Premier League over the course of the season.
Arteta was therefore asked to give his view on Arsenal’s ability to dominate the championship with their current group of players. His assessment came as the side prepared for the first round of the competition and their opening meeting with Coventry at their own ground.
The fixture will provide the immediate test for Arsenal as they start their league campaign. However, the subject raised at Arteta’s press conference was broader than the result of one match. It concerned whether the squad has the necessary level to compete with authority throughout the Premier League.
With the season yet to begin, the discussion placed the manager’s judgment of his team at the centre of attention. Arteta was asked to evaluate the strength of the group before Arsenal’s first competitive league fixture and to respond to the suggestion that the club could dominate the tournament.
Arsenal’s meeting with Coventry is the first match listed for them in the new Premier League campaign. It will take place on Friday at the Gunners’ home stadium, beginning at 22:00 Moscow time.
The press conference question gave Arteta an opportunity to address expectations surrounding his squad before the opening whistle. The central issue was whether the players currently available to him can deliver a level of performance capable of making Arsenal a dominant force in the division.
No further details of the manager’s assessment were provided in the report, but the question itself highlighted the expectations facing Arsenal at the start of the championship. Their first opportunity to demonstrate that level will come against Coventry on Friday evening.
