Mesut Özil is expected to make his long-awaited debut for Arsenal when the Gunners head to Sunderland on Saturday.
Özil played for Germany in the World Cup qualifiers this past week and was key in guiding his nation to two wins. Now he turns his attention to his new club and their potential in the English Premier League.
"Of course we can challenge for the Premier League," said Ozil on Thursday, according to ESPN."I know the team, I know the talent we have here.
"Everyone wants to be successful and Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We want to achieve things with this team. If course it will be difficult because the league is very balanced, but we work hard to a achieve this."
No one knows how much Özil will play on Friday with his new club mates. Coach Arsene Wenger may want to ease him into the lineup or simply limit his time in anticipation for Wednesday's crucial Champions League tie against Marseille. Many pundits claim that Arsenal will struggle to get out of the group, with the likes of Napoli and Borussia Dortmund standing in the way. However, Marseille is the one team they are expected to beat and Wenger will likely make it his priority to rest players for the match.
Arsenal started the year with a massive loss against Aston Villa; since then the team has won four straight, including a crucial derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
They will face a Sunderland team that has struggled to win this season; Sunderland has two losses and one draw in the Premier League this year.
Prediction: Look for Arsenal to win this one by the score of 1-0.
Start Time: 10 a.m. EST
TV: NBCSN