Arsenal had an unbeatable warm-up for the new season when they crushed Man City 3-0 in the English Super Cup match. It has been a long time since The Gunners have defeated their arch-rival in such an overwhelming scenario. That was an almost impossible performance if The Citizens were led by Pep Guardiola.
Predictions from Opta, Mirror or Sky Sports supercomputers all predict that Arsenal will be the Premier League champion 2026-27 with a rate of 30% or more, completely overwhelming compared to the remaining opponents.
Throughout 34 years of the league's history, only 3 coaches have successfully defended their titles: Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. It is too early to say that the predictions from the supercomputer will be true for Arsenal, but right now, the strength and overall picture of the "Gunners" is very impressive.
For a champion team, the question of motivation to play next season is always a topic of great interest. Arsenal and their fans have been immersed in the feeling of satisfaction after 22 years of waiting for the EPL 2025-26 championship. They have reached the peak of glory and now need to continue to stand firm in that position.
Looking at the way Arsenal players press, play fast, and rush into fierce competition in the English Super Cup match, it is clear that the determination to once again dominate the domestic playground is very clear. After the match, when watching the fiery playing images of Gabriel Magalhaes, Bruno Guimaraes and Ben White, Mikel Arteta could not hide his pride.
When you put all your determination into action, that is the result to be achieved. I and the players want to revive all the moments of last season, even things even greater than that. We understand the difficulty of the challenge of defending the championship. That is why the club has never done this in the Premier League era. Therefore, the Arsenal team knows that this task requires something very special and everyone is ready" - Arteta shared.
Mikel Arteta has reason to be confident because Arsenal is very strong and importantly stable. Meanwhile, competitors have all had major changes in personnel in the past year, from Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool, Man United to Tottenham.
In the match against Man City, Arsenal showed that they are a smooth operating machine with clearly defined individual roles. "The Gunners" deployed familiar movement combinations such as the situation where Riccardo Calafiori penetrated into the center from the left wing, Ben White crossed the wing on the right wing as soon as the winger moved inside. At one point, this defensive duo of The Gunners almost coordinated to create a goal.
There was something very surprising in the recent English Super Cup match, Arsenal defeated Man City by a devastating victory with an expected goal score for set pieces of 0. The Emirates Stadium team is known for their ability to defeat opponents from this attack, but against Man City, they did not need it.
Not only scoring 3 goals from proactive phases, Arsenal also made Man City's attack with leader Erling Haaland deadlocked. It is undeniable the role of David Raya when he was excellent in a few situations. However, Mikel Arteta's defense system without William Saliba was more solid than expected. Enzo Maresca's decision to withdraw Erling Haaland from the field in the 53rd minute partly shows the deadlock of the former champion team. The Norwegian striker has scored 7 goals in just 5 matches at the 2026 World Cup, only when he was injured was he substituted out so early.
Arsenal is overwhelmingly strong in the English Super Cup match, partly because Man City is in a transitional phase with a midfield that is being renewed. Rodri did not appear in the recent match (who arrived at Barcelona just a few hours later). The trio Mateo Kovacic, Elliot Anderson and Phil Foden have not been able to match because they are paired together for the first time.
But looking at that to see how valuable the addition of Bruno Guimaraes is to the "Gunners" midfield. After the match, Mikel Merino said that the team possesses the strongest midfield in the Premier League. Besides, it is impossible not to mention Myle Lewis-Skelly with an excellent assist for Riccardo Calafiori to open the score. As for newcomer Christos Tzolis, 2 assists in the first match as a starter are statistics exceeding expectations.
Arsenal is having a smooth playing style, new factors are quickly integrating, and veterans are still showing value. In particular, the internal competition of the players is being pushed to the peak by Arteta, thereby helping the team always be ready.
