Arsene Wenger is adamant Arsenal can compete with Manchester United regardless of the Old Trafford side’s considerable resources.
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Mertesacker (knee) and Gabriel (ankle) are out long term while Koscielny has not played in pre-season, after reaching the final of Euro 2016 with France, and is unlikely to return before the end of the month. The Arsenal boss has belatedly admitted the club are pursuing defensive back-up but has reiterated he will not be forced into making a new signing.
“Gabriel will be out for six to eight weeks”. It’s a bit better than expected because he doesn’t need surgery. “At the start we thought it could be four months”.
“It’s basically the players we have available, who are quite young. I am looking at no other areas apart from centre-back, it’s about quality”. But they want to do well.
Despite summer acquisition Rob Holding joining from Bolton Wanderers, Wenger is unconcerned with his lack of top-flight experience, according to Smith: “He has played in the Championship so that is a good experience, to deal with one level higher”.
The Frenchman is hoping to complete a deal to sign centre-back Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia in the coming days but said he “cannot tell” journalists any more on the topic until there is an agreement in place between the two parties. I think that was the difference last season: We lost many points at home.
With the Premier League season set to begin, relive some of the best moments from the historic 2015-16 campaign.
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“We are focused, hugely ambitious and humble enough to know it is hard in every single game to win in the Premier League”.
