Arteta on Community Shield ‘boost’, pressure and writing own history

Arteta confirmed that he expects everyone except Mohamed Elneny and Gabriel Jesus to be available for selection against Forest.

After coming close to the title last season, he feels that if they focus on winning this year’s championship they will “burn our energy up” from the first game and they need to “concentrate going game by game”.

On the impact winning the Community Shield has had before the new season, he said: “Winning is the best energy booster that exists. Everyone was so happy and it raises confidence and trust levels in everyone.”

Arteta was on the receiving end of the new rule changes around a manager’s technical area at Wembley, but he understands that “we need to tweak certain rules” and added: “What the referees have done is very positive things. We have to get used to this and work on them and adapt.”

On whether there is extra pressure this year, he said: “I think it is excitement and this is where we want to be, building a team that is fighting for the competition. This year is going to be even harder than last year.”

Some 20 years on from the ‘Invincibles’, Arteta doesn’t feel they can repeat it, but wants to “write our own history and hopefully it will be just as beautiful”.

The Arsenal boss played players in different positions during pre-season and asked if this would continue he said: “They deserve opportunities and we have to put them in right positions and next to the right players so we can make fair judgment and we are going to try and do that even more this season.”