It’s Christmas Eve for Arsenal followers worldwide – however for as soon as, Santa has already delivered in full, and we’re completely happy.

The remainder of the Premier League – they’re nonetheless in Tesco’s making an attempt to work out if a Spice Ladies Greatest Of album will lower it.

Manchester Metropolis bidding £100m for Paquets – feels bizarre.

Liverpool bidding £110m for Caicedo, solely to seek out out he’s not .

Spurs dropping Harry Kane to Bayern after Sky Sports activities Information duped their fanbase into pondering he was staying.

Newcastle nonetheless quick.

United nonetheless quick and heading right into a scandal as they flap over the Mason Greenwood redemption.

Arsenal? We’re set. Arteta made Arsenal a vacation spot membership. Edu and Richard Garlick made positive everybody signed new offers so we’re no perceived as essentially the most secure membership within the league. All our targets solely had one membership in thoughts which made it simple for us to get our offers accomplished early.

What’s to not love?

As we watch Spurs flap like seagull in a Cheetos bag – it’s pertinent to do not forget that we’re the place we’re as a result of Arsenal have been lastly trustworthy about who they have been as a membership.

Spurs tried to be large boy winners that signed large boy winner managers.

Arsenal accepted they might solely be large boys in the event that they places steroids into their strengths.

We had a high coach. A high academy. High analysts and scouts. An elite fan base. Outrageous services. Status historical past.

As soon as Arteta realised older gamers didn’t give a shit about his concepts – the entire membership doubled down on younger expertise, 21-24, buckets of expertise, hungry to be winners on the highest degree.

Arteta knew if he may flip the primary batch of transfers into elite gamers – the remainder of Europe would concentrate.

Then Arteta added higher gamers in his 2nd large switch window and challenged Manchester Metropolis with the youngest staff within the Premier League that didn’t get relegated.

Now we’re a vacation spot membership. All the most effective gamers wish to be at Arsenal. We get the targets we wish with minimal fuss.

Arsenal, no doubt, are essentially the most thrilling venture in world soccer.

This summer time has been a masterclass in planning and an absolute dream in relation to execution. We landed all our main targets, we added depth, technical capabilities, and most significantly – we at the moment are ridiculously unpredictable.

This Premier League season now feels prefer it’s able to bang. There’ll little question be ache alongside the way in which, however watching KDB hobble off after 23 minutes leads me to imagine that perhaps, simply perhaps, Metropolis would possibly endure a little bit bit greater than Arsenal. A broke key participant, down after one sport, feels paying homage to the season that adopted the Liverpool quadruple bit. Nonetheless early days, however a little bit puff of hopium by no means damage anybody, proper?

First 4 video games are going to be pivotal. Nottingham Forest has been very bland throughout preseason and so they haven’t gained lots of video games.  It’s going to be carnage for Matt Turner tomorrow. His first sport again at Arsenal and the gamers all know his weaknesses. He’s poor beneath stress with the ball at his ft and he tends to look petrified beneath stress. Little question there can be a little bit plan of how one can make the most of him taking part in his first-ever sport for Forest.

My hope for tomorrow is that we come flying out the traps like raptors chasing a motorcycle. We have to make an announcement to the remainder of the league towards a staff that’ll be within the backside 6 this season. I wish to see us pull them aside like we did Barcelona. Aggressive play, relentless urgent, and medical in entrance of aim. I actually can’t be having ‘they’re higher than you suppose’ chats after.

The ahead line will in all probability be the identical because the one we noticed at Wembley. Kai Havertz wasn’t signed as a #9, however he did a superb job towards Metropolis, and his top can be very helpful towards Forest.

The midfield type of picks itself and so does the again 5.

There will be no excuses. Arteta wants a trophy this season and he has all of the items he wished. The opening day of the season must be particular. The momentum of our begin final season gave the staff a lot by way of solidifying connections. The most effective ingredient for bonding gamers is to win a lot of video games. 10 factors feels just like the goal for this set of video games – however I’m telling you, if we are able to get 12, what a tone we’ll have set for the remainder of the league.

Arteta appears very calm, which is nice. Simply pondering again to 2 seasons in the past once we began the season with out doing all our enterprise then we had a bout of covid. How occasions have modified! The one attention-grabbing factor that got here out of the presser was that he was unphased by Peter Schmeical’s critique about his Raya signing, he mentioned, ‘ask the fullbacks what they consider competitors.’ I make him proper. I simply hope this actually is a battle for the #1 jersey – as a result of let’s be trustworthy, there’s a 95% probability the choice has already been made and Aaron Ramsdale can be on the bench by the tip of September. I can not think about he’s taking this signing too properly. Raya is best with the ball and he has a far superior save proportion. Dangerous occasions – however that’s elite-level sport for you.

The ultimate weeks of the switch window can be attention-grabbing. Arsenal are ready to pounce. Might be a midfielder, however suspect it’ll be a right-winger if we are able to land one. I do know you all love Reiss Nelson, however I can’t have it that our remedy for a Saka harm over 10 video games goes to be him. Certain, may very well be Trossard, may very well be Havertz… however we spent the entire of final summer time making an attempt to spend £60m on Raphina. Doubt that concept is lifeless. So let’s see what occurs there.

It’s been a mad 24 hrs of transfers and gossip – so get this Rival Watch podcast in your ears if you wish to chat about it.

Oh, I forgot to ask you to the primary On The Whistle of the season. It’ll be me, Johnny and Matt. It is going to be FUN.