Why Arsenal Are Going to Be Even Stronger This Season
Arsenal have already sent a warning to the rest of the Premier League.
A 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield might not count towards the Premier League table, but dismissing it as meaningless would be missing the point.
Yes, it was only the traditional curtain-raiser.
Yes, the real battle starts when the Premier League gets underway.
But Arsenal didn’t just beat Manchester City. They looked ready.
And after finally winning the Premier League title last season, the Gunners now have something they haven’t had under Mikel Arteta before: the confidence of knowing they can actually finish the job.
I think Arsenal will finish first again.
And this time, I expect the title race to be even more exciting.
The Manchester City result matters more than people think
Let’s get one thing straight.
The Community Shield is not a friendly. It is a competitive fixture between the previous season’s Premier League champions and FA Cup winners.
Arsenal beat City 3-0 in Cardiff, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring inside the opening minute before the Gunners added two more goals to complete a statement victory.
Of course, nobody is going to win the Premier League because they won the Community Shield.
History actually tells us to be careful with that conclusion. The Premier League points out that only one of the previous 15 Community Shield winners had gone on to win the title.
But football isn’t played in a vacuum.
Arsenal knew exactly who they were playing.
Manchester City knew exactly who they were playing.
And Arsenal walked away with a 3-0 victory.
That matters psychologically.
For years, City were the team Arsenal had to chase.
Now the roles have changed.
Arsenal are the champions.
City are the team trying to take the crown back.
That is a very different feeling going into a new season.
Bruno Guimarães changes Arsenal’s midfield
Then there is Bruno Guimarães.
Arsenal have finally added one of the midfielders they have admired for years, completing a deal with Newcastle worth around £75 million.
The Brazilian brings something Arteta’s midfield has occasionally lacked: another player who can control games, win duels, carry the ball and dictate the tempo.
He isn’t simply another body in midfield.
He is a player who can change the way Arsenal play.
Declan Rice no longer has to carry quite as much responsibility.
Martin Ødegaard has another elite-level player around him.
And Arteta suddenly has more options when Arsenal need to change the rhythm of a game.
That depth could become incredibly important over a long season.
And now Ezri Konsa is coming in
Arsenal have also agreed a deal worth around £51 million for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.
That is another signing which makes sense when you look beyond the headline.
Arsenal are going to have a huge number of matches to play this season.
The club will be expected to compete on several fronts, and injuries can turn a brilliant squad into a stretched one very quickly.
Konsa gives Arteta another experienced option at centre-back and can also operate at right-back.
That versatility matters.
Especially when Arsenal are trying to compete for the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups at the same time.
The signing also comes at an important moment, with Arsenal having concerns around defensive availability.
Arsenal aren’t finished yet
This is probably the most frightening part for their rivals.
Arsenal aren’t trying to rebuild.
They aren’t trying to recover from a disastrous season.
They are the defending champions trying to improve an already successful team.
That’s a completely different proposition.
Arteta has spent years building a squad capable of competing at the very top.
Now he has more quality to work with.
And that means we could see a slightly different Arsenal this season.
The critics might have to change their tune
One criticism has followed Arteta for years.
Arsenal can be too cautious.
Too predictable.
Too focused on control.
Some fans have even called their football ugly.
I’m not convinced that argument is going to survive this season.
Arsenal don’t need to abandon the principles that got them to the top.
They just need more ways of winning.
That is where the new signings become important.
Guimarães can give them another way to control midfield.
Konsa gives them another defensive option.
And the continued development of the players already at the club gives Arteta even more tactical possibilities.
The 3-0 win over City was certainly not proof that Arsenal are going to dominate every team they face.
But it was a reminder that this is no longer the Arsenal side that was desperately trying to catch Manchester City.
They are now the team everyone else has to catch.
Why I think Arsenal will win it again
There are plenty of reasons to doubt Arsenal.
Manchester City aren’t going to simply roll over.
Liverpool will want the title back.
Chelsea are building.
Manchester United are improving.
And the Premier League is never predictable.
But if I had to pick one team today, I’m going Arsenal.
They have already won the title.
They have strengthened.
They have added Bruno Guimarães.
They have agreed a deal for Ezri Konsa.
They have the familiarity of Arteta’s system.
And, perhaps most importantly, they now know what it feels like to finish the season as champions.
That experience could be worth a lot.
The Community Shield doesn’t win Arsenal the Premier League.
But beating Manchester City 3-0 certainly gives their rivals something to think about.
And I don’t think Arteta has shown all his cards yet.
My prediction: Arsenal finish first again.
Only this time, I think the journey there could be a lot more entertaining.
The critics can keep calling it ugly football.
Arsenal have the trophy.
Now they get to try to keep it.
The Biggest Variable? Pep Guardiola Is Gone
Manchester City are entering a new era without Pep Guardiola after his decade-long reign at the Etihad came to an end. Enzo Maresca has taken over, giving City continuity in some respects, but replacing a manager who won six Premier League titles and the Champions League was never going to be straightforward.
That throws a huge amount of unpredictability into the title race.
City still have an elite squad and absolutely cannot be written off. But for the first time in years, nobody really knows what Manchester City will look like over an entire Premier League season without Guardiola on the touchline.
And that could be Arsenal’s biggest advantage.
Arteta knows exactly what his team is capable of. Arsenal have the stability of a manager who has been there for years, the confidence of being champions and a squad that has been strengthened again.
Meanwhile, City are having to begin a new chapter.
That’s a fascinating shift in the balance of power — and another reason I think Arsenal have the edge.