Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has insisted that their return to the Champions League this season will not be a disruption.
Former Gunners boss, Arsene Wenger, has claimed the competition will “cost points” in the Premier League.
Next week, Arsenal will play in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in six years.
Following the end of the international break, Arteta’s men have three difficult matches in quick succession.
First up, they travel to Everton on Sunday before hosting PSV on Wednesday in the Champions League.
Just four days later, they take on a resurgent Tottenham side in the north London derby at the Emirates.
When asked how much playing the Champions League games will test Arsenal, Arteta replied: “Well, it’s exactly the same as last year. We played every three days, but it was the Europa League. So the competition is different.
“Obviously, the demands of that competition and the expectations are different, especially as we’ve been away from there for seven years. But it’s excitement.
“This is where we want to be. When you look at the fixtures and the games that we have to play, I think everybody’s really looking forward to it.”
EPL: Arteta downplays Wenger’s fears over Arsenal’s Champions League return