'Things will be different' - Gabriel on Arsenal title hopes

Gabriel Magalhaes believes this play "will beryllium different" for Arsenal aft admitting they person "let a mates of titles gaffe done our fingers" successful caller years.

Mikel Arteta has transformed the Gunners since taking implicit astir six years ago, but they person not won large silverware since FA Cup occurrence successful 2020 - his archetypal play successful charge.

The Gunners person finished 2nd successful the Premier League for 3 successive years and mislaid successful the semi-finals of some the Champions League and Carabao Cup past play - to eventual winners Paris St-Germain and Newcastle respectively.

As Arsenal statesman their pre-season circuit of Singapore and Hong Kong, BBC Sport looks astatine the changes that needed to beryllium made successful an effort to assistance a trophy for the archetypal clip successful 5 years.

Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli each spent lengthy spells connected the sidelines past season, which disrupted Arsenal's attack.

Striker Gabriel Jesus besides missed a ample portion of the run with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and - with different recognised attackers retired - midfielder Mikel Merino ended up playing arsenic a makeshift centre-forward.

Merino did good - scoring 7 times successful 28 Premier League games and hitting an important extremity successful the triumph implicit Real Madrid successful the Champions League - but Arteta volition privation to debar specified a script this season.

It wasn't each atrocious for the Gunners, of course, arsenic those injuries allowed academy products Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to interruption into the archetypal team.

Lewis-Skelly has since gone connected to marque his debut for England and sign a caller semipermanent deal.

Nwaneri is close to doing the same - aft scoring 9 goals successful 37 appearances.

"I don't deliberation we tin springiness excuses," Gabriel, 27, told BBC Sport. "We did everything we could successful the past 3 years. I consciousness similar we had a small spot of atrocious luck sometimes, but we each judge that we tin triumph large titles.

"We're focused connected what our manager is telling america to do, and what we person to do, and what we person to improve. I deliberation this twelvemonth volition beryllium different."

Arsenal person been engaged successful the transportation marketplace and volition person respective caller faces successful their squad erstwhile they commencement their Premier League play astatine Manchester United connected Sunday, 17 August.

The Gunners person already signed winger Noni Madueke, midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. They are besides moving to implicit transfers for striker Viktor Gyokeres and young defender Cristhian Mosquera.

Zubimendi is 1 of the astir highly rated antiaircraft midfielders successful Europe.

Premier League champions Liverpool tried to motion him past season, and helium played a important relation successful the Euro 2024 last arsenic a half-time substitute arsenic Spain bushed England.

Alongside him, Arsenal person brought successful midfielder Norgaard from Brentford to supply acquisition present Jorginho and Thomas Partey person departed.

Madueke is seen arsenic perfect back-up for Saka, but besides idiosyncratic who tin play connected some wings, situation Martinelli for his position, and proceed processing his ain game.

"I deliberation the players that came volition assistance america retired a lot," Gabriel said.

"The nine is doing what is champion for the players and the manager. They are decidedly doing their champion to bring the champion players that tin assistance us, but we person to absorption connected what we tin bash retired connected the pitch.

"The players that are present are doing that. We are beardown and we are getting stronger with these caller players.

"Definitely, it excites me. We privation to person the champion players. To beryllium successful the quality for titles, you person to person the champion players."

Arsenal volition anticipation the expected accomplishment of Gyokeres from Sporting volition bring goals, with the Swede having scored 54 successful 52 games past season.

Gabriel has played against Gyokeres, and mimicked the forward's solemnisation aft scoring successful Arsenal's 5-0 triumph implicit Sporting successful November successful the Champions League.

"We each cognize helium is simply a large player, but helium is simply a Sporting subordinate not an Arsenal player," Gabriel said.

"Playing against him past twelvemonth was a challenge. He is large and had a large season. About the celebration, it is thing I can't speech astir close now."

Gabriel missed the last weeks of past play aft injuring a hamstring successful April. He had country to hole the occupation and is moving to beryllium acceptable for the opening of the season.

The Brazilian has signed a contract that volition support him astatine the nine until 2029 - and says helium "didn't hear" astir links with a determination to Saudi Arabia.

The feeling astir Arsenal is they are acceptable to instrumentality the adjacent step, and consciousness assured to accidental publically they are acceptable to assistance a trophy.

"I've been astatine the nine for 5 years present and I've seen however overmuch the nine has grown." added Gabriel, who was speaking earlier the club's pre-season tour, wherever the Gunners volition play AC Milan connected 23 July and Newcastle connected 27 July successful the Singapore Festival of Football.

"I americium present to triumph large titles and I bash judge that this play volition beryllium different. We person fto a mates of titles gaffe done our fingers recently.

"We astir won but I deliberation this year, things volition beryllium different. I person a batch of religion successful that."