"It’s very difficult to play against [Atalanta]! They have a particular playing style which you see week-in, week-out and it’s very challenging for opponents coming up against them.
"In the last two seasons, the Premier League has changed a lot, you’ve got a lot of squads that are doing similar things to them and we need to be prepared ahead of tomorrow.
"Last year was a great campaign for us. We got to a place where we hadn’t been as a club for 16 or 18 years, but we weren’t happy or satisfied at all because we want more.
"They showed their hunger. I think we have the ability, we certainly have the quality - and now we have to prove it."
Hello and welcome to SunSport’s live blog of Atalanta vs Arsenal!
The Gunners kickstart their Champions League league phase campaign with a trip to the Europa League champions.
Mikel Arteta’s men will be looking to build on their North London derby win at archrivals Tottenham last weekend.
And the Arsenal gaffer has received a huge boost with the return of midfielder stalwart Declan Rice after the former West Ham man served his one-match suspension on Sunday.
Arteta may be tempted to make changes to his XI with a huge heavyweight clash against Premier League title rivals Manchester City next on the agenda.
Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori is available after being out with an injury and could make his first start for the club.