Overview
- Arsenal invested nearly £200 million on six summer signings, led by striker Viktor Gyökeres and winger Noni Madueke, to end three straight runner-up finishes
- Mixed pre-season produced wins over AC Milan and Newcastle, defeats to Tottenham and Villarreal, and Gyökeres’s first goal in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Club
- Prominent pundits including Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards predict Arsenal will challenge but are unlikely to clinch the Premier League title
- Defensive selection remains unsettled with Arteta weighing Riccardo Calafiori’s attacking flair against Myles Lewis-Skelly’s consistency at left-back
- Simon Hooper will referee the Old Trafford opener with Paul Tierney on VAR, and Manchester United received a boost as Andre Onana and Joshua Zirkzee returned to training