The Gunners kick start their season and the entire top flight campaign with a trip to face Premier League newcomers at the Brentford Community Stadium and Parlour believes the Bees are ‘hungry’ to prove a point.
Mikel Arteta’s men have not been so busy in the transfer window as the only big arrival being Ben White from Brighton.
Arsenal endured two back-to-back eighth finishes in the Premier League in previous seasons and will be hoping to have a good campaign this time around.
The North Londoners have been handed a difficult start to the 2021/2022 campaign and it will be tested on Friday with a trip to face a local team.
“We’ve got Chelsea and City in the first five games, and then they’ve got a north London derby quite earlier in the season – it’s a huge game tonight, it really is,” he told talkSPORT.
“If they can get off to a winning start, which is going to be difficult because we know Brentford are going to be absolutely flying tonight.
“In the Premier League for the first time, they’re going to be right up for it.
“So I do worry about tonight, but if Arsenal can win, which they’re capable of, if every player turns up and plays their part they can get a win, they’ve got to look forward and the momentum and belief is got to be there for the players.
“But tonight is a tricky game, I must admit.
“All eyes will be on Brentford tonight and how they start the season. It’s the first time in the top level in a long time, so it’s all going to be about Brentford tonight, not Arsenal.
“Arsenal are going into a tricky season in front of them, they’ve got to try and get back into the Europa League positions if they can, which is not easy. When you look at Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, the top four is going to be very difficult.
“But they’ve got to believe they can do it. Nobody would have believed that Leicester would have won the Premier League title those years ago, and they did it. West ham had a great season last year getting into the Europa League…
“So that’s what Arsenal have got to try and believe. No European football, they’ll have longer to recover between games, so I don’t expect as many injuries as last season.
“I’m always optimistic but I think it’s going to be tough to get into that top-four.”
