Mikel Arteta has described Arsenal’s season as the beginning of “a new story” following their solid 2-0 victory over Wolves, marking an optimistic start to their Premier League campaign.
The Gunners, aiming to go one better after finishing as runners-up for the past two seasons, have set their sights on their first top-flight title since 2003-04.
Arteta’s team started strong, securing an impressive win at the Emirates, with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
The win adds fuel to predictions from pundits, including Alan Shearer, who believe Arsenal has the potential to dethrone Manchester City, despite concerns over their need for a new centre-forward.
“This is a new story, this season,” Arteta said post-match. “A beautiful one hopefully that we have to write from the beginning. This is the first chapter of that. Let’s write some beautiful ones.”
One of the match’s key moments was Kai Havertz’s early goal, which came just 25 minutes into the game—an improvement over his previous season, where it took him until November to score in open play.
His growing partnership with Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s top scorer last season, promises much for the team moving forward.
Saka was instrumental in the opener, delivering a precise cross that Havertz converted. In the second half, Havertz returned the favor, leading to Saka’s brilliant solo effort to secure the second goal. Arteta compared Saka’s impact to that of Lionel Messi. “With good players, it’s like that,” Arteta said. “With [Lionel] Messi, I know he’s going to come in and do that, but you can’t stop him.”
Havertz echoed the praise for Saka: “Saka is unbelievable. There are not a lot of players like him on the planet and he is still so young. He can get better. It is very rare to see a young player like this perform every week at the highest level.”
Arsenal’s dominance was evident not just in possession and chances created but also in their work rate, having covered eight kilometers more than Wolves during the match.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson commented on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Arsenal were comfortable…They looked like they picked up where they left off at the end of last season.”
Gabriel Martinelli, one of Arsenal’s standout performers, emphasized their focus on surpassing last season’s efforts. “This is the most difficult league in the world, and we know how hard it is to play against City,” said the Brazilian.
“We believe in ourselves and we know our quality and will go for it.”
With many backing them to challenge City’s reign, Arteta’s side is seen as the team most likely to disrupt Pep Guardiola’s title-winning streak.
Alan Shearer summed it up: “Arsenal took the title race right until the last game of the season, so they weren’t that far away…I think I fancy Arsenal for the title.”