"I want to be hunted." That's Mikel Arteta's framing as Arsenal open their Premier League title defence on Friday against Coventry — and it's a telling one. After three consecutive seasons of watching the gap close but never crossing the line, the Gunners finally have the prize. Now comes the harder part: keeping it.
Arteta was blunt about what's required. "We start from scratch, from zero, and we're going to have to prove we are at the level to go back to that position again." No coasting on momentum, no assumption that last season's form carries over. For a squad that's been building toward this for three years, the mindset reset is genuine — and necessary.
The Guimaraes question
The bigger short-term concern is Bruno Guimaraes. The summer signing from Newcastle came off with a right thigh injury during Arsenal's 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City on Sunday, and his availability for Friday's opener is uncertain. That's a significant early headache. Guimaraes was brought in to add physicality and control to a midfield that already cost a fortune to assemble — missing him in game one isn't a disaster, but it's not the start anyone wanted.
Arsenal are the bookmakers' favourites to retain the title, which makes early injury news worth watching closely. A slow start would tighten the market fast.
Lewis-Skelly isn't going anywhere
Arteta also closed the door firmly on any Lewis-Skelly speculation. Asked whether the 19-year-old would be staying beyond this transfer window, Arteta's answer was simple: "100%." Given the noise around a potential exit, that's a clear message — the club sees him as part of the project, not a sales option.
Whether Arsenal can defend the title depends on more than one player or one match. But the way Arteta talks about this squad — the hunger, the desire to be better than they were a week ago — suggests the mentality is right. Whether the personnel hold up across 38 games is where it gets complicated.
