Mikel Arteta is hoping for a fast start as Arsenal begin their quest for the Premier League title when they welcome Wolves to the Emirates on Saturday.
Arteta's side concluded their pre-season preparations with a comfortable 2-0 win over Lyon last week, with William Saliba and Gabriel on target in the first half.
And the Gunners head coach explained that his side must set the tone in the opening exchanges against Gary O'Neil's side in North London.
"Look at today with the way we started, for sure. It’s about maintaining that for 95 minutes and that’s the target and objectives that we need to have," Arteta said after the win over the French side.
"There’s a lot of positives to take from today’s performance again.
"I think overall it's been a really positive pre-season with the tour and the club and a lot of people put a lot of effort into making it work. I think it was a success again."
Wolves, meanwhile, will be hoping to improve on a dismal end to the 2023-24 season, but face a side they have failed to beat in the Premier League since February 2021.
O'Neil's side lost five of their last six league games (W1), including the last three in a row, concluding their pre-season fixtures with a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano at Molineux last Saturday.
“Next week is a big one for me to make sure the lads are ready for the Premier League and next week is a big one for us in the transfer market," O'Neil said.
"We’ve made another £100m this summer, we made £100m last summer, and that does provide its challenges to keep the team staying competitive and keep the team as strong as it once was four or five years ago.
“We’re trying to get it back to that, but with a very different make-up behind the scenes that we’re working to. But I enjoy those challenges a lot.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal - Martin Odegaard
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard enjoyed his joint-most prolific season for the Gunners last year, netting 11 goals and adding 11 assists across 48 appearances in all competitions.
Odegaard has scored more Premier League goals against Wolves (four) than he has against any other opponent, but three of those have come away from the Emirates.
The Norwegian will hope to have an effect at the top end of the pitch, with his 102 chances that he created for the Gunners last year a total only bettered by Pascal Gross (103) and Bruno Fernandes (114).
Wolves - Matheus Cunha
With Pedro Neto's transfer to Chelsea confirmed last week, last year's top scorer in all competitions, Matheus Cunha will pose a significant threat to Arsenal's defence.
Cunha contributed 22 goal involvements (14 goals and eight assists) in 36 appearances last year, registering the highest expected goals (xG) total in the Wolves squad in the Premier League (9.49).
The Brazilian scored in his last visit to North London in a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal and will be hoping to continue his scoring streak at the Emirates this weekend.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal are the clear favourites to start their campaign with three points, winning 76.4% of Opta's data-led simulations, with Wolves emerging victorious in 9.5% of those.
The Gunners have won each of their last six Premier League encounters with Wolves, their joint-longest winning run against them (also six in a row from 2003 to 2011).
Arteta has won his opening Premier League fixture in each of the last two seasons, with another victory securing three consecutive opening day triumphs for the first time since between 2007-08 and 2009-10.
Arsenal have scored in each of their last 33 meetings with Wolves in all competitions, last failing to do so since a 1-0 home defeat in February 1979.
It’s both the Gunners’ longest scoring streak against an opponent, and Wolves’ longest run without a clean sheet against a side in their respective histories.
But O'Neil will be hopeful of changing his side's opening day fortunes. Wolves have lost their opening Premier League game in each of the last three seasons and have never started a league season with defeat in four seasons in a row in their history.
Wolves have also won just one of their last 13 away top-flight visits to Arsenal (D4 L8), winning 2-1 at the Emirates in November 2020 under Nuno Espirito Santo.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal - 76.4%
Draw - 14%
Wolves - 9.5%
Shaqiri leaves Chicago Fire 'to explore new opportunities'
Xherdan Shaqiri has agreed to leave the Chicago Fire two and a half years on from his record-breaking transfer to the MLS club.
Former Bayern Munich, Inter and Liverpool winger Shaqiri joined the Fire from Lyon in February 2022 in a reported $7.5million deal, then a club record fee.
Shaqiri, who won the Champions League at both Bayern and Liverpool, scored 14 goals in 69 regular-season matches for Chicago.
However, the 32-year-old had not played for the club since May due to appearing for Switzerland at Euro 2024. He subsequently retired from international football.
Shaqiri does not appear ready to quit the club game, though, explaining this mutual agreement served to further his career elsewhere.
"I believe this is the right time for me to explore new opportunities in my career," he said in a statement.
"I want to thank the club and the fans for their support during my time in Chicago. I wish the Fire nothing but success moving forward."
Fernandes signs new Man Utd contract with 'best moments still to come'
Bruno Fernandes has signed a new Manchester United contract and believes his "best moments" for the Premier League giants are "still to come".
Fernandes joined United from Sporting CP in January 2020 for an initial fee of around £47million (€55m) and was an instant hit at Old Trafford.
The Portugal international scored 12 goals from midfield in that first COVID-hit campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before netting 28 across all competitions in his first full season in England.
Fernandes has gone on to tally 79 goals in 234 games for United, contributing 67 assists while creating more chances in the Premier League than any other player since his signing in 2020.
Having helped United to win the EFL Cup and return to the Champions League in 2022-23, Fernandes was named captain by Erik ten Hag at the start of last season.
It proved a difficult campaign for the Red Devils but ended with Fernandes in inspired form as his side beat rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final, securing silverware and European football once again.
Now, on the eve of a new Premier League season, Fernandes has committed his future to United, agreeing a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2027 with the option of a further year.
It has been reported the new terms will bring his salary in line with United's top earners.
Fernandes' performances have more than justified that status, yet he is confident United fans will see even more from both he and the team in the coming years.
"Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United," Fernandes told the club's media channels.
"I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club.
"I have had so many special moments here already; hearing my name sung from the Stretford End, scoring a hat-trick against Leeds, leading the team out at Old Trafford on European nights and lifting trophies at Wembley.
"But I wouldn't have signed this contract if I didn't believe that my best moments in a United shirt are still to come.
"From my discussions with the football leadership and manager, it is clear how determined everyone is to fight for major trophies in the years ahead.
"I can see how positive the future is going to be, and I am relishing leading this team forward."
Raya: Arsenal 'nearly perfect' last season, 'but you have to be perfect'
David Raya believes Arsenal were "nearly perfect" in the Premier League last season but acknowledges that is not enough to beat Manchester City to the title.
Having finished second the previous year, Mikel Arteta's men improved their points return in 2023-24 but were again runners up to City.
That was a fourth consecutive title for City, an unprecedented feat in English top-flight history.
Arsenal are once more targeting top spot in the coming campaign, though, and goalkeeper Raya knows the level they must reach right from the start of the season.
The Gunners lost four times before the turn of the year last time out, meaning they could not compete with City even while dropping points in only two of the remaining 18 matches.
"Our second half of last season was nearly perfect," Raya told Sky Sports. "But you have to be perfect to win the league, especially against Man City.
"They are so good, and they are so experienced in this environment.
"We have to learn from everything, from every mistake and from the good things that we have done as well, to carry on and improve them. That is what we need to do.
"It has been a fantastic year, but we have to – and I have to – make the next one better."
Even with the slightly below bar start to the last campaign, the margins were so fine, with the title race going down to the final day as City pipped Arsenal by two points.
It is natural then that Raya and his team-mates might reflect on the games in which they slipped up, notably taking only one point from two games against midtable Fulham despite leading in both matches.
"I think we had a really good campaign, but at some stages we didn't manage the games where we dropped a few points well," the Spain international said.
"It's that balance of knowing when you have to manage games. Also, you have to go all in, especially at the start of the season."
Arsenal begin the new season at home to Wolves on Saturday.
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