The immediate question is whether Bruno Guimarães can make the opening night. The midfielder, a summer arrival from Newcastle United, was forced off in the Community Shield win over Manchester City and is reportedly trying to recover in time for Friday’s match.
If he is unavailable, it would be an early disruption for Arteta.
For a title defence, these details matter from day one.
Arteta is not ducking the burden of being champions. “Começamos do zero e vamos ter de provar que estamos no nível para voltar àquela posição,” he said, before adding: “Precisamos mostrar esse desejo e a ambição de sermos melhores do que fomos na temporada passada, há um mês e há uma semana.”
That is classic Arteta: no soft landing, no talk of living off last season. Arsenal may be fancied by many to win the league again, but the manager’s tone is about hunger rather than comfort.
Other reports suggest Coventry City will arrive with little fear in their first Premier League campaign in a generation, with Frank Lampard pushing for a bold approach. That makes this more awkward than a routine curtain-raiser. Promoted sides often carry momentum, energy and belief, especially on opening weekend.
Arteta also moved to cool transfer chatter around Myles Lewis-Skelly, answering “100%” when asked if the teenager would stay.
The bigger issue now is the one on the pitch: whether Bruno Guimarães is fit enough to start. If he is, Arsenal open with one of their new central figures in place. If not, the first test of a title defence arrives even before the season has really begun.