Kai Havertz scored in the win against Wolves in front of a raucous Emirates crowd in the opening match of the season [Alexander Canillas/SPP]

MIKEL Arteta ticked off Arsenal’s opening fixture of the new Premier League season like a man counting down the games until his side wins the title.

Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka helped themselves to a goal and an assist each as the Gunners eased to a 2-0 victory over Wolves in front of a raucous Emirates crowd on Saturday.

“Job done,” declared Arteta, knowing that there will be plenty of harder matchdays ahead.

Having seen Arsenal finish as runners-up behind Manchester City for the past two seasons, what everybody is asking now is, can they finally wear the crown?

“When I see the willingness – whether we are going to do it or not – we’re going to have to show it every day in how we play and the results we’re able to take away,” replied Arteta when quizzed on whether his side can take that extra step. “It was the first game – there’s always uncertainty around how we’re going to respond to that against a really difficult opponent.

“We scored two, clean sheet, win, job done.”

Arteta was also quick to re-evaluate his targets when a joke he made during pre-season came back to haunt him. He said: “First of all, I was in LA and they asked me what we needed to win the Premier League for sure. I said, ‘114 points’. But that doesn’t mean we have to do that.

“Talking about that after the first game doesn’t make sense. This is a new story this season, hopefully a beautiful one that we have to write from the beginning. Today was the first chapter of that. Let’s write some beautiful ones and be prepared for the ones that aren’t so beautiful, to respond to that in the best possible way.”

Chapter two promises to be a real cliffhanger as Arsenal prepare to face a gleeful ex. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa damaged the Gunners’ title chances more than any other club last season as they did the double over the north Londoners.

This Saturday’s trip to Villa Park is an early opportunity for Arsenal to banish those past demons. Arteta is expected to name an almost identical starting line-up to the one that lost 1-0 in the West Midlands in December – the only predicted change seeing Gabriel Jesus drop down to the bench in favour of Thomas Partey.

Some Gooners might find it galling that Arsenal are going into such a big away day without a new striker.

But after seeing Havertz produce the goods yet again in the win over Wolves, Arteta clearly isn’t too worried about where the goals are going to come from.

“Players need some time to adapt and get to know everybody – the club, the relationships, the system,” explained Arteta. “He’s gained the confidence and the respect of everybody in the way he handles certain situations and in the way he’s performing.”

Praising Arsenal’s first league goal of the season, which saw Havertz dart between two defenders and power a header past Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, Arteta added: “It was a great action – the whole action, the delivery, the position we had in the box, the way he attacked the ball. It was superb, a great goal.”