Arsene Wenger: 'Manchester City win will boost confidence'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has declared that his side will go into the new campaign full of optimism after a 3-1 success over Manchester City.

Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud were on all target for the Gunners in Helsinki this afternoon, as Arsenal finished their pre-season preparations in style.

Wenger told the club's official website: "It was a game of good intensity with two teams who were really putting all the effort on. We had a good tactical discipline. I'm pleased with many aspects of our game, even if there are some points to work on. Overall it's positive tactically [and] attitude-wise. We scored goals, created chances and were always highly focused. That's good.

"Certainly it will lift our confidence. You have always to find a good balance between confidence and urgency level and I think we will because this team has a good attitude.

"We lose now the players who go on international duty and come back only on Thursday so it will be very short from Thursday to Saturday to prepare or our first game. We have big games in front of us because we play of course Aston Villa at home and then in the Champions League so it's important that we don't lose players now."

Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla are among the Arsenal players on international duty in midweek, ahead of their first league game against Aston Villa on August 17.