Arsenal opens with Premier League win and Arteta shows confidence: “A new story”

With a convincing win over Wolverhampton, Mikel Arteta highlights the players' development and ambition for titles, while Saka and Havertz shine in the match
Arsenal FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League
Arsenal FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League / Eddie Keogh/GettyImages
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In their first game of the season, Arsenal showed that they're not messing around. Under Mikel Arteta, the team picked up exactly where they left off at the end of last season with a convincing win over Wolverhampton. More than the result itself, it was the attitude on the pitch that caught the eye. A team that was aggressive, focused and, above all, willing to do whatever it took to bring the Premier League title to north London.

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Right from the start, the Londoners showed what they were about. Incessant pressure at the start of the match made it clear that Arteta and his charges were not there to be supporting players. “Especially the start of the match, in the first half, where we were very good - very aggressive, very intense, very purposeful in attack, very quick, a lot of threat in the box,” commented Arteta after the match. Kai Havertz opened the scoring with an accurate header from Bukayo Saka's cross. A goal to silence the critics and show that the German is ready to shine.

And if anyone is ever ready, it's Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal wonderkid once again showed why he is one of the greatest in English soccer. After setting up the first goal, Saka still had time to score the second and secure the win. “Bukayo was unbelievable again to make it 2-0. So it was a different game,” said Arteta, who sees in the young striker a bright future, not only for the club, but for the England national team.

But it wasn't all plain sailing. Wolverhampton managed to scare at times, requiring good saves from David Raya. The Spanish goalkeeper, who has earned Arteta's trust, showed that he can be decisive when needed. “Unbelievable! I think it was the first time they tried. We didn't defend the area well and then David made an unbelievable save,” praised the coach, who seems to have found in Raya the security he was looking for in the Gunners' goal.

And if Arsenal have got off to a good start, Arteta is already looking to an even brighter future. The Spanish coach didn't hide his satisfaction with the team's performance, but he also made it clear that he expects more. “I hope very far - it's the first game, so I hope we can become a better team and evolve every week. That's the goal we have,” he said.

Arsenal, under Arteta, seem to have finally found their identity. It's an aggressive team, which looks to score at all times, but which also knows how to defend when necessary. And that's to the credit of the coach, who has shown a clear vision of how he wants his team to play. “We scored two, clean sheet, win, job done,” summed up Arteta bluntly. It's this objectivity, combined with a well-defined playing philosophy, that could take Arsenal far this season.

Bukayo Saka
Arsenal FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League / Visionhaus/GettyImages

The big question now is: do Arsenal have what it takes to go all the way? If it depends on the will and commitment of the players, the answer is yes. Arteta, for his part, prefers to keep his feet on the ground, but doesn't hide his ambition. “We'll have better days and worse days. [Sometimes] the opponent will guide you to play in a different way. Today we won convincingly, but probably in a different way, because that's what the game demanded,” said the coach, who is always careful with his words.

And it's precisely this combination of ambition and caution that could be the key to Arsenal's success this season. A team that knows what it wants, but also knows that the journey is long and full of pitfalls. If Arteta manages to keep the squad focused and motivated, the Gunners have everything it takes to be among England's greats once again.

At the end of the day, what we saw was an Arsenal team that was confident, well-trained and hungry for titles. A team that, if it keeps up the level of performance of the opening game, can dream big. Why not? After all, soccer is made up of dreams, and maybe Arsenal are about to make theirs come true. As Arteta said, “This is a new story this season, I hope it's a beautiful one that we have to write from the beginning”. And it looks like the first chapter has already been written in gold ink.

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