Arsene Wenger is confident that Arsenal can improve on last season and win the Premier League.
Arsenal boss in confident mood
Arsene Wenger is confident that Arsenal can improve on last season and win the Premier League.
The Gunners finished four points behind Manchester United in third place after dropping off the pace in the second half of the campaign.
Wenger believes that his side will be stronger towards the end of the season this time, but he is concentrating at the moment on making another good start.
Arsenal beat FC Twente 2-0 in a UEFA Champions League qualifier on Wednesday in their first competitive match of the season, and Wenger is looking forward to facing West Brom this weekend, live on
Sky Sports 1.
"We feel we were a fraction short last year, but not much, and we want to show we can get these four points that make the difference between us and the winners of the league last year," Wenger told
Sky Sports News.
Asked if there was a genuine belief that Arsenal could win the title, Wenger replied: "Why not? Of course it is strong.
"We were leading for a long time last season and that was helped by a good start to the season, so let us focus on short-term targets, and then show later on that we have learned from the fact that we dropped off a little.
"We feel we are ready to start. We showed that on Wednesday night."
Baggies test
Wenger is anticipating a tricky clash against the newly-promoted Baggies but expects his men to come away with three points.
"Usually if a team has just come up they give you a very good game," he explained.
"The main target for us is to win the game no matter how, because we know West Brom will be up for it completely, and of the three teams to have come up from the Championship they probably have the most Premier League experience."
Plenty of time
Asked about his plans in the transfer market, Wenger admitted that there would be no new arrivals in the near future but refused to rule out making any more moves before the close of the transfer window.
He said: "It relaxes me that there are 16 days, There is plenty of time.
"Nothing will happen before the game, apart from Justin Hoyte may complete a move to Middlesbrough.
"We are not close to buying anybody."
