Mikel Arteta says it is down to Arsenal to “prove” they are stronger than they were last season despite having fewer attackers in their squad.Arsenal’s transfer business involved selling Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, while Christos Tzolis was their sole attacking signing.Arteta has said he had no regrets over how the window panned out, and asked if the squad was stronger now than they were in May, he was unequivocal in his stance.“Yes I do,” he said. “This is what I feel. Now we have to prove it. I think we are better equipped. I think we have more players available than what we had at the start of last season. We have increased the quality and we have increased the leadership in the team as well which is very important.”His point on availability points to Arsenal having just one fit recognised centre-forward after the first week of last season. Kai Havertz suffered a major knee injury away to Manchester United on the opening day of the 2025-26 campaign while Jesus was not available until December due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered in January 2025.
That left Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line largely on his own until he sustained a muscle injury in November, which then saw Arteta turn to Mikel Merino up front.There are still concerns over the number of left wing options, with Christos Tzolis and Eberechi Eze the main options.The Athletic’s Gameweek 3 predictionsElias BurkeArteta’s point on leadership, however, points more to the signing of central midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. The 28-year-old arrived as Newcastle United’s captain, having been a key figure during his four-and-a-half years in the north-east.On the topic of the front line and whether there is enough strength in depth, Arteta said: “We have to prove in that particular position whether we are better or not. Let’s see. We need to play. I don’t like to make assumptions before.“I think it’s not just the responsibility of those players, it’s the responsibility of the team and the dynamic of the team. And we have multiple options to play there with different profiles, as well.“That’s human nature (for people to want more). When you talk to people and you ask the people, normally, it’s: ‘OK, what is on your bucket list?’ And people write a lot about the bucket list. And sometimes we forget the reverse bucket list, which is the things that you already have in your life that are incredible but you put so much emphasis on them that nothing seems to be enough.“And it’s not only in football, it happens in life. I really value what we have, what we have created together.”Arsenal may have finally won the Premier League last season, but many of their key players did not enjoy their best campaigns in Arsenal shirts, with availability a key factor.For instance, when it comes to the percentage of minutes played across all competitions for Arsenal last season, Bukayo Saka ranked eighth on 57.1 per cent, Martin Odegaard ranked 16th on 34.7 per cent, Mikel Merino ranked 18th on 33.6 per cent and Kai Havertz ranked 21st on 18.7 per cent.There is no guarantee that these players will play more consistently this term, but the hope that they will is only natural. So while Arsenal did not sign the attackers that they may have wished for, there should be more to come from those already in the squad nonetheless.
