Arsenal eye Community Shield as Arteta targets strong start to new season

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said on Friday that the “intention” is to start the new season by lifting the trophy when they face Manchester City in this weekend's Community Shield.

Sunday's traditional curtain-raiser will be contested between the Premier League champions Arsenal and the FA Cup winners City in Cardiff.

Arsenal, who were defeated by Paris St Germain in last season's Champions League final on penalties, aim to start the season on a positive note after ending a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

"It (the Community Shield) is a trophy, one that we can have because we earned it last year from winning the Premier League," Arteta told reporters.

"You can tell how hungry the players are, which is a good sign. I love the way the players have come back, most of them earlier than expected. Really fit, we've done all the testing. They all seem in great condition.

"The moment they start to look at each other, I said: look at the squad that we have and what we're building. There's a lot of excitement.

"The best version of Arsenal has to be on Sunday. That's the intention. The best performance, the best way to start the season by lifting the first trophy. That's the way we've prepared for the season. On day one, be at our maximum level."

The off-season also brought fresh competition into the squad following a busy period of recruitment.

Gunners have roped in several key players, including Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, alongside Christos Tzolis and goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The club were also linked with winger Vinicius Jr before the Brazilian opted to stay at Real Madrid.

"It's a very exciting part of the season ...," Arteta added. "There's an opportunity to evolve and understand how every player is feeling. We are trying the maximum within 13 or 14 days to compete for every possible position ...

"I'm not going to talk about individuals. The ambition of the club is big. We want to improve and evolve the squad. We have detected the areas that can be strengthened."