Arsenal Are Not Defending Their Title, They Are Attacking It, and the Premier League Should Be Worried

• Martin Odegaard says Arsenal’s mentality is to “attack” the title rather than defend it after a commanding 3-0 opening day win over Coventry City
• Mikel Arteta became just the fifth manager to reach 150 Premier League victories in fewer than 250 games, joining Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson
• New signing Christos Tzolis impressed on his home debut while Arteta played down the severity of Bruno Guimaraes’ groin injury

The nearly men are gone, and something more dangerous has taken their place

Above the entrance to Emirates Stadium, there is new signage. A simple message in gold: “Champions.” It is a small detail, but it tells you everything about where Arsenal are right now. The nearly men who spent years chasing shadows have been replaced by a squad that carries the swagger of winners, and their 3-0 dismantling of Coventry City on the opening night of the Premier League season was a statement of intent.

Players were each given an individual introduction as they came out for their warm-up. The crowd serenaded the team with “champions of England” throughout the match. And captain Martin Odegaard, in his programme notes, made it clear this group has no interest in sitting back and protecting what they won last season.

“We don’t feel we have to defend anything,” Odegaard told Match of the Day. “We want to do it again and that’s the mindset. Last year is finished now. We want to do it again and we want to attack it and fight for it again.”

That is not the language of a team content with one trophy. That is the language of a team building a dynasty. And the evidence on the pitch backed it up. Within 23 minutes Arsenal were 2-0 up, the quickest they had been ahead by that margin since a match against Wolves in 2023. There was no anxiety, no nervous energy, none of the tension that so often gripped the Emirates last season as the Gunners chased down a first league title in 22 years.

Facing a newly promoted side on opening day is never straightforward, as Arteta learned the hard way in 2021 when his team lost away to Brentford. But this version of Arsenal is a different animal entirely. With a comfortable win over Coventry, Arteta became just the fifth manager to reach 150 victories in the Premier League in fewer than 250 games, after Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson. The company he now keeps tells its own story.

Arteta has made a point of trying to unlock the atmosphere inside Emirates Stadium, turning it into a fortress that away teams dread visiting. So many times last season, Arsenal fans were criticized for their nervous energy and the way it translated to the team during the title race. Friday night felt different.

“Let’s see when we are 0-0 and when we are maybe losing a game, see how we react,” Arteta said when asked about the atmosphere. “Today was the start of the game, and the two goals were obviously a good platform for everybody to feel this way. But I think we all learned in the past as well that one really helps the team. And certainly in this kind of atmosphere in the stadium, it’s just a joy to witness and to play football.”

A lot of the anxiety last season came from Arsenal having to juggle injuries to key players while dealing with criticism of their style. Friday’s goalscorers, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, all featured in the same Premier League starting lineup just once last season. With all three in the team together from the start, the Gunners played at their dominant best.

Odegaard in particular looks like a player reborn. So restricted by injuries last season, the Norwegian captain followed his player-of-the-match performance in the Community Shield against Manchester City with another display that underlined his importance to this Arsenal team. Having scored last Sunday and again on Friday, he already has more goals for the season than the one he managed in 36 appearances last term.

There was also the home debut of Christos Tzolis, a 34 million pound signing from Club Brugge, who made an immediate impression. The winger won the ball back for Havertz’s opener and assisted Saka for Arsenal’s second goal in a display that earned him a warm ovation when he was substituted on 76 minutes.

“I love that a player that has been with us just for a few weeks gets this kind of energy every time he’s on the ball,” said Arteta. “I think he’s earned it. I think the way he has performed in the last few games has been phenomenal. What he transmits as a player is so direct, so incisive, constantly. He wants to make things happen and he has an incredible variety of actions in the last 30 metres. I think it’s up to him to make the right decisions. Even the spaces are sometimes really, really small. I’m very happy with him.”

The only concern for Arsenal was the absence of Bruno Guimaraes, the 75 million pound summer signing from Newcastle who was pictured with ice strapped to his right leg after being forced off in last weekend’s Community Shield. Unconfirmed reports suggested the midfielder could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but Arteta moved quickly to dismiss those fears.

“We expect that not to be weeks at all,” Arteta said. “Let’s see how he evolves this week. He didn’t even want to stop. He wanted to carry on. Now we start to understand the character of the player, but I don’t expect that to be a big issue.”

That final line might be the most revealing detail of all. Arsenal now have the depth, the quality and the mentality to absorb the loss of a 75 million pound midfielder and still put three past the opposition without breaking a sweat. Last season they won the title despite being haunted by injuries and doubters. This season, they look ready to do it with a smile on their face.

“It was great because the start is always tricky; we played a team that had a long time to prepare as well, and they are really good at what they do, but I’ve been really impressed with what I saw today,” Arteta said.

The Premier League has been warned.