Boss Arsene Wenger admits the pressure has eased since Arsenal head ended their nine-year wait for a trophy with an FA Cup final success last season. He said: "It has taken a little bit the weight off our shoulders."
The Gunners led the Premier League for much of the first half of last season, but eventually finished fourth.
"We have to take more points from the top teams and that will be our real challenge this year," the Frenchman continued.
"We finished fourth last year with 79 points. Man City won it with 86. So it was very tight in the top four.
"That's one or two games. If you win against them they have three points less and you have three points more. That means then it's down to one game."
Wenger believes "six or seven teams" have a genuine chance of winning the league.
"It will be a tough competition again," he said.
