Former Arsenal striker Paul Dickov has revealed Unai Emery is demanding his players be fully fit for the Premier League kickoff.
Dickov claims he has been informed the players are being worked much harder than before under their new manager.
“Unai Emery going in there, first home game at the Emirates, champions going there," Dickov told Sky Sports News.
“They will be right up for it and if you look at his previous clubs at Sevilla and PSG, the one thing he does is get them working really hard.
“I'm already hearing the intensity in pre-season is going to be a lot different for the Arsenal players from what they've known.
“It's just going to be a fantastic game for the first game of the season.
“One thing that's been pointed at Arsene and his teams over the past five or six years is that mentally they're a little bit of a soft touch.
“The way Emery works, I don't think that's going to happen. He's already made a signing, a good experienced signing in (Stephan) Lichtsteiner, over 100 caps.
“Defensively first and foremost he will have to sort them out, but I think the whole mentality of the club will change now."