Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal's managerial stability could give them an edge at the start of the season.
The three teams that finished above the Gunners last term - Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea - all have new men in charge with David Moyes replacing Sir Alex Ferguson and Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho swapping La Liga for the Premier League.
Arsene Wenger is approaching his 17th anniversary as Arsenal manager and Arteta thinks that continuity could make a difference.
"We've got a stronger squad and I think we should be much closer this time"
Mikel Arteta
"We hope so," he said. "When you bring in a new manager, you bring new ideas and you need to adapt, so if we can catch them [our rivals] early and get a good start - which we've not done in the last few years - then we're going to have a chance.
"We're going to get well prepared for the start of the season and we want to start winning the games as soon as we can.
"It will be unbelievable to win trophies. We really enjoy playing with this club so imagine if we are able to win trophies.
"I don't think we're that far away. The fact that we haven't won one for eight years makes it harder mentally to believe. But that's what we need to do."
"We're at a massive club where there is a responsibility to win trophies. It makes me more motivated. We've got a stronger squad and I think we should be much closer this time."
Arteta pinpointed the FA Cup exit to Blackburn Rovers as the low point of last season and he is determined to make amends.
"That was a cup we felt we could win," he said. "We had a chance to win that cup, we were really disappointed and we should have done better. There was a lot of faith that we could do it.
"But moments like that are what you need to improve on. It makes you think and it makes you realise you are not as good as you think you are."
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