Strong favourites or tougher task - will Arsenal defend their title?

Arsenal ended their long wait to win the Premier League again by securing the title last season. It means they begin this campaign as defending champions - something they have not done since the 2004-05 season. The Gunners are favourites to lift the trophy once more - but what does history tell us about how defending champions perform, and just how likely is it that Mikel Arteta's men can claim back-to-back Premier League titles? Will Arsenal have the same mentality? Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola made defending the Premier League title look easy in recent years. After first leading City to the title in 2017-18, Guardiola led a successful defence four times before leaving the club this summer. But prior to the Catalan's arrival in the Premier League, winning a title two or more season in a row was proving a tough task, with the trophy changing hands in each of the eight seasons before Guardiola's first title win. Before Guardiola there were only two managers who had ever overseen successful title defences in the Premier League era - Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea . One of the reasons why it can be so difficult to defend a title is the psychological factor. For a whole campaign a title-winning team's players have been working hard towards the goal of winning the league and the moment it is achieved will understandably feel like a huge success and relief. But then, just a few months later, those same players have to build up to the idea of having to do it all again, only this time with a bigger target on their back as defending champions. That can be overwhelming - as Leicester City found out after their fairytale Premier League win back in 2015-16 , when they flirted with relegation in their title defence season. In the summer after their title triumph, one Foxes player summed up the psychological impact it had on the players, telling the media: "Winning the title was like climbing Mount Everest. Then you get back down, receive a pat on the back and you're told to climb up it all over again." Ex-Premier League winger Andros Townsend believes the Gunners will find it hard to replicate their 2025-26 achievement because of the competitive nature of the Premier League. "The last two times Liverpool have won the title the next season they have not been able to replicate it. They have had relatively poor seasons," Townsend told broadcaster Radio 5 Live, with the Reds finishing third and fifth after lifting the Premier League trophy. "When you get over the line, that huge relief. Do you go into the summer with the same sort of aggression and mentality?" Continuity could be key There have been plenty of changes for Arsenal 's title rivals this season. Manchester City , Liverpool and Chelsea are going into the campaign with new managers, while Roberto de Zerbi and Michael Carrick will oversee their first full seasons at Tottenham and Manchester United respectively after they were appointed during last season. That means they will all have a degree of uncertainty in the dugout, while Arsenal have the benefit of continuity as Mikel Arteta remains in charge. Arsenal have not made too many major changes in the playing squad either, with their significant signings being the arrival of Greece forward Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34m, and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United for £75m. Arteta believes the signing of Guimaraes in particular will significantly boost Arsenal 's chances of defending their title. "I think he describes himself as a warrior," Arteta said. "I think he's a warrior with a tremendous quality as well and intuition and leadership and charisma that is going to help us, that is going to really ignite something different in the team. "We want to go to the next level and are very, very much convinced that we're going to need players with such a personality, desire and character to push everybody inside the organisation to go even higher." However, Arsenal have been dealt a blow with an injury to defender William Saliba, who is set to miss an "extended period" after suffering a back injury at the World Cup. His partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes last season gave the Gunners' consistent defensive excellence and, even in light of their attempts to sign Ezri Konsa, how long the France international is out for could have a significant impact. But could rivals be stronger? While managerial changes provide unfamiliarity for some of Arsenal 's