Arsenal head into European battle this week, having already stamped their authority in the opening weeks of the domestic season.
The reigning Premier League champions have kicked off their title defence with three successive victories – only Manchester City also have a 100 per cent record in the English top flight – which has seen the Gunners' lauded backline concede just a single goal.
Arsenal's watertight defence was breached only 27 times in 38 league games last season and has been further strengthened by the arrival of England international Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.
And Konsa quickly endeared himself to the Emirates Stadium crowd during Sunday's 2-1 win over Chelsea with a perfectly timed sliding tackle on former Villa teammate Morgan Rogers in the second half, which sparked a loud roar of approval from home fans.
“I love duels,” said Konsa. “As a defender, I think these are things you have to cherish … Rogers is a good friend of mine, but on the pitch, it's a different story. I saw the opportunity to go in and make the tackle and it came off.”
It was a challenge that delighted manager Mikel Arteta. “A very English tackle, the crowd reacted immediately – [English fans] love that more than a goal sometimes,” said the Spaniard.
Defeating big-spending Chelsea meant Arteta's side had passed their first big test of the season, especially considering £117m summer signing Rogers had put the Blues into a second-minute lead – only for goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard to flip the script.
No marquee forward at Arsenal
Arsenal themselves have been busy in the market, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes (£75m from Newcastle United) and Christos Tzolis (£34m from Club Brugge) joining Konsa (£55m) in North London.
Arteta had hoped to attract a superstar striker to the club but moves for Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez failed to materialise. Instead, the former agreed a bumper new deal with Los Blancos, while the latter is desperate to join Barcelona, although Atletico have made it equally clear this will not happen.
Arsenal begin their Uefa Champions League campaign away to Napoli on Wednesday, and it remains to be seen whether their failure to bring in a marquee forward will damage their prospects on European football's biggest stage.
Last season, the Gunners made it all the way to the final only to be beaten by defending champions Paris Saint-Germain on penalties after the match ended 1-1 after extra time.
Gunners goal concern
Goals were hard to come by during last season's knockout stages, with Arsenal scoring just seven goals in seven games against Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting, Atletico and PSG. Their miserly defence only conceded three goals in those matches.
But the concern remains that scoring goals could be an issue. Last summer's £64m signing from Sporting, Viktor Gyokeres, contributed 21 across all competitions but scored only once in the Champions League knockout stages. The jury is still out as to whether he cuts it at the very highest level.
The Swedish striker has played just 12 minutes of Arsenal's league season so far, failing to appear off the bench at all in the opening two games with Havertz leading the line. The Germany international, Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have each chipped in with two goals.
“At the end of the season we'll put everybody in their place and let's trust them,” Arteta said of his attacking options. “Let's make sure that we are right behind them and we do everything we can to help the incredible talent that they have.”
De Bruyne fitness woes
At the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Wednesday, Arsenal's much-heralded defence is set to come up against an old nemesis in former Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian moved to Napoli on a free transfer last summer after 10 years in Manchester, where he scored 108 goals and supplied 177 assists, helping the team win 19 major trophies.
The 35-year-old's first season in Italy was hampered by the same hamstring injuries that blighted his final years at City, limiting him to 21 appearances.
He has appeared off the bench in all three of Napoli's games so far – scoring one and assisting another in the season-opening win at Genoa – and could well be in line for a starting berth against opposition he regularly tormented in the past. De Bruyne has scored eight times in 22 appearances against Arsenal, more than any other team in his storied career.
“Last year was difficult, to have surgery like this and be out for five months,” he said after the Genoa game. “I’ve only been here two weeks because of the World Cup … I’m doing well, I’m trying to help the team and hope to have an injury-free season.”
Another former Premier League player – Rasmus Hojlund – is set to spearhNapoli's attack, having scoredored in his previous two games after his move from Manchester United was made permanent in May. The Dane scored 16 goals in 44 appearances while on loan in Naples last season.
Another former United player, Scott McTominay, will miss the game after undergoing surgery to correct irregular heart rhythms. The 29-year-old midfielder is expected to return to action after October's international break.
