Arteta Hails Arsenal Stars After Strong Start Amid Transfer Speculation

Mikel Arteta has emphasized that there is plenty more to come from Arsenal’s established stars this season following their impressive start to the Premier League title defense with a convincing victory over Coventry. Just a week after defeating Manchester City by the same score in the Community Shield, goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Ødegaard ensured a comfortable win for the champions. Arsenal, who unveiled new £55m signing Ezri Konsa before kick-off, have now won 18 of their last 19 encounters against newly promoted teams, showcasing dominance against Frank Lampard’s side. Despite ongoing speculation about a potential move for Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez, Arteta highlighted the contributions of Saka and Ødegaard, suggesting they are ready to step up after two injury-plagued seasons. Arteta stated: “The main focus has to be to improve our players, improve the connection between them because they are already so good.” He also expressed confidence in the squad, saying: “I’m really happy with the squad that we have and the main focus is to improve the players that we already have.” Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were absent from the matchday squad as Arsenal seeks to offload the Brazilian internationals. Any potential move for Alvarez may depend on their departures. Arteta remains optimistic about the return of Bruno Guimarães, who is recovering from a groin injury, stating: “We don’t expect that to be weeks.” On the other hand, Coventry faced challenges in their first Premier League game since 2001 but Lampard expressed pride in his team's response: “We lost the game and we will learn our lessons. Every game won’t look like that.” He acknowledged the need for adjustments moving forward as they adapt to the top-flight competition.

Source: The Guardian Sport - 2026-08-21