Arsenal have won their opening three Premier League games, but Mikel Arteta believes the champions are capable of going beyond the level they reached last season.
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal can perform at a higher level than they did on the way to winning the Premier League last season.
The Gunners have nine points from nine after their 2-1 win over Chelsea, having already beaten Coventry City and Aston Villa this season.
The latest one required a comeback. Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead after only 77 seconds at the Emirates, the first league goal David Raya had conceded this season. Kai Havertz equalised before the break and Martin Odegaard scored the winner five minutes into the second half.
Arteta was asked afterwards whether beating a Chelsea side tipped by some to challenge near the top represented an early marker.
“I think it's an indication for us of how capable we are to perform even higher level than last season and depends on if we maintain and sustain that desire, that humbleness and continue every day to try to find a better version of myself and the team.”
Last season ended Arsenal's 22-year wait for the league title. Whilst Arteta's side reached the Champions League final before losing on penalties, having spent the previous three Premier League campaigns finishing second.
There has been plenty of change since then, although several of the players who decided the Chelsea game were already central to what Arsenal did last year.
Havertz started through the middle again on Sunday. Odegaard was alongside Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly, while Bukayo Saka completed the front three with Christos Tzolis.
With Ezri Konsa made his first start for the club, with Mosquera not fit enough to make the squad.
Arsenal were in trouble almost straight away, yet Arteta came away particularly pleased with what happened after Rogers' goal.
"I think it was an exceptional performance. I think I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end. The beginning was tough, but I enjoyed it because the team reacted in a spectacular way"
There was enough in the first half to make it uncomfortable.
Riccardo Calafiori had an equaliser ruled out, Gabriel escaped further punishment after catching Emiliano Martinez with a raised boot and Chelsea continued to find space when Arsenal lost the ball.
Havertz eventually got the Gunnersl back into it.
Odegaard took over after half-time, arriving onto the ball after Havertz allowed Tzolis' pass to run across him.
Arteta later described his captain as “phenomenal”.
Odegaard missed a significant amount of football last season and Arteta believes he has returned with a point to prove. Havertz was another of the attacking players Arsenal had to manage without for long periods.
They have started this campaign together and it's not hard to see why, both having scored twice in the opening three games.
It's has not made Arteta any more willing to judge Arsenal's season after three games. When it was put to him that only Arsenal and Manchester City still had perfect records, he pointed instead to how difficult both the Villa and Chelsea victories had been.
Sunderland comes next in the league, but first Arsenal travel to Naples to begin another Champions League campaign.
Arteta still believes there is more to come from this side.
“We still have a lot to grow and a lot to offer and this is ambition of the of the team.”
