Mikel Arteta has emphasized that his Arsenal team isn't burdened by the pressure of being anticipated to contend for the Premier League championship, expressing that "this is where we want to be."

The Gunners came remarkably close to clinching their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 Invincibles season in the previous term.

Although they held the top position on the table for a significant portion of the season, a late stumble allowed Manchester City to surpass them and secure their third consecutive title.

With enhancements made to the squad through the acquisitions of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber and the potential addition of David Raya, Arsenal is anticipated to be in the mix once again.

Despite the potential pressure associated with such expectations, Arteta views them as more exhilarating than concerning, as he embraces this level of anticipation.

“I think it’s excitement. This is where we want to be. The competition for this year,, you see a lot of movements that they make,” he said via football.london.

New signings obviously swell the squad somewhat, giving Arteta more options, the lack of which hindered Arsenal down the stretch last season.

He highlighted the importance of making sure every player feels important no matter their role, along with the importance of having players that want the team to do well in any scenario.

“I think you have to treat everybody with the sense that they’re important, and to do that, you have to play matches,” he said.

“It tells you a lot about a human being what your contribution is when you’re not playing. I want players to have the feeling that they’re happy when the team wins regardless.”

Gabriel Jesus recently stated that due to surgery to address a knee issue, he would miss the start of the season.

He claims that his recuperation is progressing well and that he might return to play soon, but he will undoubtedly miss the first game.

“It’s a bit early still. He’s doing really well since his operation. Hopefully he can start to do some stuff next week,” Arteta added.

He has a number of forward options to choose from; Kai Havertz started up top in the Community Shield, and only Jesus and Mohamed Elneny are confirmed to be out of the picture this week.

The manager is raring to get off on the right foot and wants the fans to see a proper opening fixture in an Emirates opener.

“We love playing in front of our people. We have created an incredible atmosphere, and the boys and everybody, I think, can’t wait to be there tomorrow ready for the kick-off and to put on the performance that they deserve and that we want to do,” he said.