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Mikel Arteta assessed the emotions and targets surrounding his side as the reigning champions. Arsenal were crowned the winners of the Premier League last season to end their 22-year wait for the major honour, taking the trophy to the Emirates Stadium for the first time in their history. ·‘We need to take this organically’ Last weekend, they then smashed Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, showing the strength of their squad and a readiness to compete at the highest level. The stress from so many failed attempts at getting silverware is a thing of the past, and the Gunners were able to enjoy themselves over the summer. The manager hopes this relief will energise fans and players alike for this season. “I feel good, different, hopefully better. I'm more excited, hungrier than ever. I can't wait to start the Premier League at home in front of our supporters, have a great performance and win the match. “[I had time] to enjoy it, to reflect, it was time for everything. It was a long summer, longer than we usually have. I feel fresh, motivated, I sense the enthusiasm around the place and that's what I want. “It’s been an evolution in terms of the atmosphere three, four years ago, then two years ago, then last year. When you are so close at some point, that atmosphere and the feeling of not doing it again can restrict you. But when I see the celebrations and the parade and those emotions, I'm very confident that we're going to have, in my opinion, the best stadium in the world and the best atmosphere in the world, because if we do that, we're going to be much closer to achieving what we want to do again. “We need to breathe and we need to take this organically because it's going to be a long marathon as well. What we need to show is that desire and ambition will be better than what we were last season, a month ago or a week ago when we played Manchester City. We have the ability to improve, to evolve and that's what I sense, and I feel around the club and especially around the players.” ·‘Our players have that desire and the ambition’ There is a pressure of a new kind for the champions to deliver on the expectations of a successful title defence. Arsenal have only won the Premier League title four times in their history, failing to go successive years as topflight table toppers since the 1930s. Time will tell if the story of this season sticks to the expected script, but the desire from the group to get over the line is not at all in doubt. “We want [to retain the title], I guarantee you, with my life, it's the case, and how willing they are to achieve that. But we need to show. That's only on the pitch, the way we act and react and overcome different challenges and opportunities over the season, whether we are capable of doing it or not. “Those teams [that retain the title] have an incredible quality, which is to maintain the standards daily at the highest level. It is an opportunity that we have. I have no question that our players have that desire and the ambition to do that. Now it's something that we have to earn and do daily. “We haven't done it before so I can’t tell you [how hard it is.] I had experience but in a different role. It’s about what you put in daily, how you set standards and how you drive those day by day, to earn the right to be where you want to be at the end of May to give yourself the chance to win it again. “What has to drive us is standards daily to be able to, day by day, earn the right to position ourselves there in a strong way and to play, perform and connect with our people in the manner we want, and if that's the case, I'm sure we're going to be very close and then the destiny will decide what happens.”