And so it begins, my fellow Gooners.

 

Roughly 24 hours from typing this, we will begin our title challenge at Old Trafford against United in what some are calling a must-deliver season for Arteta. There is a growing feeling amongst the Arsenal faithful that this is a make-or-break season. If he can't get us over the line this time, then someone else has to come in and take us to the next level. What do we think? Well, that's a topic for another time.

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The fixtures supercomputer couldn't have picked out a spicier curtain raiser. For us, there's still something about games against Man Utd that gets the juices flowing. If you want to look at it more subjectively, then it's 2nd against 15th from last year, with a gap of 32 points, but we don't care. It's United. All that historical rivalry still rings with us. All this media-made stuff that somehow teams like Newcastle are our rivals doesn't cut it at Legion Towers. There's the NLD, then there's the Utd games, then Man Citeh, a more recent rivalry, maybe third? Chelsea and Liverpool after? You all no doubt have your thoughts and ideas on where games rank. There's no right or wrong; we all have our favorite fixtures.

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We drew 1-1 at their place last season, but our performance was symptomatic of our trips there. We have historically been beyond awful. Doing our research, like any good site should, we have won a grand total of 5 league games there since the inception of the Premier League in 1992/93. That's 5 league wins in just over 32 years. A win roughly every 6.5 years. For a club of our size and stature, that's frankly pathetic. Let's be brutally honest here. United has recently had some bang average sides, and we've still struggled badly. We have never learned to play the game, not the name, when it comes to them. It's both infuriating and baffling.

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So what about United this year? How are they shaping up? For us, something truly weird is happening down Sir Matt Busby Way. At one stage this summer, they didn't have a pot to piss in and were trying to flog their captain Fernandes for the Saudi cash. We kept hearing stories of how skint they were, and poor Nesta, the tea lady, was getting her jotters. Then BOOM. A few weeks later, it started with the signing of Cunha for £62.5m and £150k/week. Then Mbuemo followed for a similar amount in both fee and wages. Then they somehow, and I still don't know how, managed to get Sesko (our first choice for the striker spot, yes, over Gyokeres) through the door for £70m+ and £160k/week.

 

This is without selling anybody, and I mean not one permanent sale of any note outgoing. Rashford was a loan, Garnacho is still there, Antony is still there, Sancho is still there, yet here they are splashing the cash and batting their eyelids at Baleba from Brighton, who could be the new Caicedo or the new Bissouma (who knows) for £120m. Yes, £120m. Make it make sense.

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But enough about them. What about us, the mighty Arsenal? It's safe to say we now have the strongest squad ever assembled under Arteta.. We are in our best position ever to win the Premiership under his reign. Liverpool winning the league last season with 84 points was a huge opportunity missed.

 

Speak to Gooners and there's a common theme of three reasons why we didn't get over the line last year.

 

1. Frankly bizarre, never seen before, never seen again, refereeing decisions.

 

2. Injuries.

 

3. Lack of goals/a 'proper' centre forward.

 

Number 1, we cannot unfortunately do anything about. It's the same referees, the same rules, etc etc. We will still have to suffer at the hands of the insanely overrated Michael Oliver et all.

 

Number 2, we can absolutely do something about. As mentioned in our squad depth piece, squad rotation and trusting of role players is Arteta's true kryptonite. It just is. Now that excuse, that reasoning from him is gone. Our squad depth is at a stage now where we are swapping international-calibre players for international-calibre players. Flogging favourites to death, resulting in fatigue injuries should be over.

 

Number 3 is hopefully solved. All the talk this summer was that we lacked a centre forward, and if we'd had one, he'd have turned some of our 14 draws into wins, and ultimately we'd have won the league and maybe Champions League as well. We look at it this way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with us defensively. Fewest goals against last year. The same as the year before. Our problem was that Liverpool scored 17 more goals than us because we scored 22 fewer goals than the season before. This season, we keep our defensive stability and our centre forward scores goals and bosh, job's a good un. Too simplistic? We're about to find out.

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Below we have what we think our starting eleven will be, barring any injuries that Arteta is keeping quiet, as he likes to do, and is absolutely within his rights in doing so. Missing for them will be Mazraoui and Martinez, both injuries. For us, Trossard was a doubt, but Arteta intimated that he should be fine. Jesus is long-term term but other than that, we have a clean bill of health.