Source: Team_Talk
Wenger aiming at Gunners title shot
An inconsistent opening to last season - with five defeats from 14 matches - saw the Gunners playing catch up on their title rivals before eventually finding form which secured a fourth-place finish.
Just being also-rans, however, is not good enough for Wenger, whose last trophy was the 2005 FA Cup.
"The ambition is to finish as high as possible. What is as high as possible is to finish first, it is as simple as that," declared the Arsenal manager.
"The competition is of a high level and many aspire to that, so let's continue to play the game the way we want to play it and I believe we can show that we have made big steps forward."
Despite the sale of Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure to Manchester City, Wenger maintains his squad is stronger than this time last year.
So far, Belgian centre-half Thomas Vermaelen is the only new face, although the return to full fitness of Croatia marksman Eduardo leaves Wenger feeling there is plenty of strength in attack.
"We are young and have developed. Why should we not be better in August than we were in March?" said Wenger, who will be without Theo Walcott this afternoon, but hopes the England forward could be back for the Champions League qualifier against Celtic next week.
"We lost two great players. However, we have bought Vermaelen to replace Kolo and we have Eduardo back, who for me is a great player.
"We have players who develop very well and are young, like [Carlos] Vela, [Nicklas] Bendtner, Walcott, who are all strikers, so I do not feel we are short in these positions."
Arsenal are no further forward in any potential transfer deals, which have included a look at bringing former captain Patrick Vieira back as well as Bordeaux's £12million-rated Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh and Fulham defender Brede Hangeland, or indeed over a proposed move away for Philippe Senderos to Everton.
"I have all the players in place," said Wenger
"If we need to add one or two more, the transfer period is open until August 31.
"Ideally you want not to move any more, but you always have to adjust. If there is a need there, we will do it."
Wenger, though, maintains there is "no chance" of Cesc Fabregas being sold to Barcelona.
The Gunners captain has once again been strongly linked with a big-money summer move away from Emirates Stadium - his boy-hood club Barcelona the latest side said to be weighing up a formal bid.
"Do you really think we sell now our players one day before the championship starts, players who are basic players of the team? There is no chance," Wenger said.
"You cannot stop people from having a lot of creative imagination during their sleepless nights, but that does not mean we will do it."
