After a narrow 2-3 defeat to Villarreal in their pre-season home friendly, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave a positive assessment of the team's preparations and expressed strong confidence in their chances of winning the Premier League title in the new season.

At the post-match press conference, Arteta said: "We still have a pre-season game before the match against Manchester United on Saturday. This week's preparation will be the final preparation for the opening game. I am very satisfied with the overall performance so far."

"Although the result of today's game was painful, the opponent was very efficient and we were too naive in defending open areas, which we must improve. But overall, we gained a lot."

When asked if the team is ready to challenge for the Premier League title again, Arteta gave an affirmative answer: "We have been in the competition for the past three years. This is a natural stage of the team's growth."

"We know how to keep improving and we believe we can do better. Other teams have also strengthened their squads. Every team is fighting for the championship, and so are we."

Speaking of the biggest lesson learned from last season, Arteta admitted: "Player availability is crucial, especially in the last two or three months of the season. We really struggled at that time and paid the price for it."

"We made some good decisions this summer, bringing in top-level players who can play in multiple positions, and I believe that has made us stronger."

Arteta's speech showed his confidence in the team's current situation and clearly conveyed Arsenal's goal for the new season, which is not only to continue to maintain competitiveness, but also to complete the ultimate task of challenging the championship.