Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to embrace the pressure of being champions, insisting he would rather have a target on his team’s back than be chasing.
Arsenal begin their Premier League defence against newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night, entering the season as title favourites after ending their 22-year wait for the championship.
Arteta accepts the dynamic has changed but says he would rather his team be “hunted”.
“Today, no. Because we start from scratch, from zero tomorrow, and we’re going to have to prove we have the level to go back to that position again,” Arteta said when asked whether Arsenal now had a target on their backs.
“But I think that happened in the last three seasons, at some point we were first, at some point we were chasing it. And you never know what is better.
“You give me the choice, I want to be first, I want to be hunted, and I want to be in control of our future, rather than depending on somebody else.”
Arteta’s comments underline the mentality Arsenal must adopt after three successive seasons of finishing second before finally going one better last term. The challenge now is to prove winning the title was not the culmination of their development but the beginning of a period in which they can dominate.
He added: “They don’t need any kicks. If they need a kick, believe me, they will get a kick. But they don’t need a kick. What they need is the realisation of the energy and the desire and the passion that they have to go out and get the season.
“It’s certainly there. And look after each other every day. Because we have built something that is special. And it takes a long time to build it. And we need to make sure that we look after it daily. That’s the most important thing.”
There was also certainty from Arteta over the immediate future of one of Arsenal’s most valuable home-grown players.
Asked whether Myles Lewis-Skelly would still be an Arsenal player when the transfer window closes, Arteta was emphatic: “100 per cent.”
The 19-year-old emerged as an important part of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign after moving into midfield and has attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. Lewis-Skelly started the Community Shield victory over Manchester City and assisted Arsenal’s opening goal.
Arteta also stressed the particular value of players who have come through Arsenal’s Hale End academy, with fellow teenager Ethan Nwaneri another player linked with a move after his loan spell at Marseille.
“The players that have been raised in our system, and they feel generally that love and that connection with the club, bring something else, there’s no question about that,” Arteta said.
“We need to look after them in a really special way because they bring value that is very difficult to find.”
However, Arteta acknowledged the club will still have to make difficult decisions about departures before the transfer window closes, with Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira among those expected to leave.
“These are always difficult conversations. But they need to be done,” Arteta said. “We all know everything has a start and an end.
“When it ends, our job and duty is to do it in the best possible way, with respect and admiration for the player and the relationship. But at the end, we need to make difficult decisions.”
Arsenal have already strengthened with the signings of Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis, with Ezri Konsa expected to be announced imminently.