Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen says that Arsenal can challenge for the title this season. Speaking to the Evening Standard, the Belgian defender said "The spirit in the camp is good. We have a good young group who are very aggressive and want to improve."

Many critics of Arsene Wenger's long term approach have pointed to the club's lack of trophies over the last five years, but Thomas Vermaelen is not worried by the doubters.

"I think people will always say we can't compete - it is not the first time," he said.

The Belgian centre-back experienced a fine debut year at the Emirates last season and feels that Arsenal are ready to mount a title challenge that will not fall short as was the case last season, provided they keep up their work rate.

"We have to do what we always do which is work hard and play our own game. Then we can compete. I hope we can compete for the title this year and I'm convinced we will."

Wenger's young side have made a solid start to their pre-season preparations for the upcoming Premier League season, with 7 goals in 2 games against Barnet and Sturm Graz.

Belgium centre-back Thomas Vermaelen proved to be a massive success at Emirates Stadium last season as the former Ajax man settled in quickly following his summer move.

"I learned a lot from playing at a higher level, I have learned from different situations in the games, so I hope that I can improve next year.

"This year it did not work out, but we have a lot of good players and a good team with a lot of quality.

"We have to continue what we have been doing, we are working hard. I am convinced that next year we can win trophies with this team.

"We had a lot of injuries, and if we can all be fit for a long time next season, it will be a good year for us," added Thomas Vermaelen.

Arsenal have already released details of their Away kit (which is yellow and maroon), but the new Arsenal Kit remains an enigma.

That doesn't stop you from being able to buy it though - at Red Hot Football you can pre-order the shirt, and get them sent straight to your door when it is officially released at theend of August!

Former Arsenal star Martin Keown has hailed Thomas Vermaelen's first season at the Emirates Stadium and has challenged him to push on to greater heights next term.

In what proved, by boss Arsene Wenger's own admission, a disappointing season defensively for Arsenal this term, Vermaelen was one of the few to excel in his role at centre-back and Keown has now called on the Belgian to build on his hugely successful first year in England.

"He's been outstanding, without doubt, and it's [only] his first year," Keown told Arsenal TV Online.

"What I'd like to see him now do is grow, I'd like to see him become a leader, I'd like to see him become more vocal. It's difficult watching from the sidelines but I get the feeling he is still feeling his way into the team.

"What I love about him is that he attacks the ball. People criticised him and said he was just five foot 11 but he proved it doesn't matter. We need him to grow, we need him to understand his role. Once he does that he can bring the rest of the back four with him and organise that line."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that centre-back Thomas Vermaelen will be sidelined for around three weeks after the Belgian sustained a calf injury in Wednesday evening's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

"Certainly it is a calf strain. [He will be out for] two to three weeks," Wenger told the Gunners' official website.

The defender pulled up after 19 minutes against Spurs and was substituted. He has missed only one Premier League game this season previously, and that was due to suspension.

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has expressed his disappointment at throwing away a two-goal lead to draw with West Ham United.

The Gunners were winning 2-0 at half-time but conceded two goals late in the second half to drop two points.

Vermaelen believes the referee made the wrong decision in awarding West Ham a penalty after Alex Song's trip on Carlton Cole.

He said to Arsenal TV Online: “I’m very disappointed. I think we should win today. Two goals out of nothing I think.

“In my point of view I think the referee made a big decision by deciding it was a penalty. I thought it was no penalty, so I’m very disappointed.

“We were 2-0 up and we were comfortable and in the second half as well we didn’t give any chance away to West Ham. They scored two times out of nothing and that makes it really bad."

Arsene Wenger admits he is surprised at how quickly Thomas Vermaelen has settled in to his Arsenal defence.

The 23-year-old Belgian international, who reportedly cost the Gunners £10million when he was signed from Ajax in the summer, made a scoring debut last Saturday in the 6-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park and was again impressive in Tuesday night's 2-0 Champions League play-off win over Celtic.

The Arsenal boss said: "Yes, I am surprised but we saw that he had the physical strength and mentality to cope and when he was needed he came in."

He added: "I believe he has a good mix of the physical and technical for a centre-back and it is interesting to have a left-footed player because he gives you angles for the pass which are very important for the midfielder."

Arsenal may have to do without England forward Theo Walcott for Saturday's Barclays Premier League opener at Everton, but centre-half Thomas Vermaelen is ready to make his debut.

The Belgian centre-back was Arsene Wenger's only summer signing and has recovered from a groin problem. With Kolo Toure having been sold to Manchester City and Johan Djourou (knee) set for a spell out, the 23-year-old is expected to partner veteran William Gallas in a defence which was all too often brutally exposed last season.

Walcott, meanwhile, needs some more time to recover from a slight back problem which kept him on the bench during England's 2-2 draw in Holland.

Wenger also revealed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is set for a spell on the sidelines after needing knee surgery, while midfielder Abou Diaby may miss the Goodison Park contest.

"We have some problems," Wenger said when assessing his squad on their return from the midweek internationals.

"We have Theo Walcott, who is not available. Diaby has a little groin problem, but he could be available. "[Also] we have lost Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianski because they had injuries. Lukasz had a cartilage surgery. He will be out for two months.

"Johan has a knee problem that will take some time to cure - one month. Thomas Vermaelen played 45 minutes for Belgium on Wednesday night and came through okay so he will be available."

At just shy of 6ft, critics have suggested the addition of Vermaelen still leaves the Gunners once again lacking height in a crucial area. However, the former Ajax defender insists there is much more to his game than just sheer physical presence.

"I am not so tall, I know that, so you have to be good at reading the game," Vermaelen said.

"I think my heading game is good, I have a good jump and that is positive if you are a centre-back. On the field it is just very important to be smart and thinking all the time."

Defender Thomas Vermaelen says that his team's grit and determination is not a reaction to the way the media and various pundits have written off his club's title challenge before the season had even begun.

Instead, the Belgian international and his team mates are not concerned about what the press are writing to fill their column inches, they're just focused on one thing - winning trophies - and that is what's driving the team forward.

Vermaelen says that there was no need for any added incentive to motivate the squad, as professional athletes they want to win whatever competition they're taking part in and ultimately, end the club's trophy drought.

The former Ajax captain said: "People not tipping us not to win anything this season has not given the players any added incentive.

"We want to win things, of course, and we will work very hard every single day.

"I think the most positive thing about it was that we showed we are a united team."

Arsenal take on Celtic this week in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying round tie. The Gunners will play the first leg away.

Summer recruit Thomas Vermaelen will play against Everton in Arsenal's first game of the new Premier League season.

The ex-Ajax defender missed the Emirates tournament and subsequent game against Valencia in pre-season so looked doubtful to make the opening clash of the new campaign.

However, manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that the Belgian's absence against Valencia was simply precautionary.

“He is very close,” Wenger told the club's official website.

“If we had wanted to take a gamble then we could have played him [against Valencia] but we did not want,” the Arsenal manager continued.

“He should be available for next weekend.”