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Arsene Wenger urges Arsenal players to be "as sharp as possible"

Arsene Wenger says that his Arsenal players need to be "as sharp as possible" for the start of the new season.

Arsene Wenger has outlined his fitness plans for the team ahead of their opening Premier League match against Liverpool next month.

The Gunners will travel to France, the United States, Norway and Sweden for pre-season training and friendlies.

The new season will kick off against Liverpool at the Emirates for Arsenal on August 14, and Wenger wants his men to be at optimum fitness.

"[We want the players] to be as sharp as possible," Wenger told the club's official website. "Look at the schedule we have, it is a very difficult schedule and [we must] focus on the players who are here because they are certainly the players who will start the season.

"We have a nice variety [to our pre-season schedule]. I wanted a game before we travelled to the States. After three weeks of training I think we need a game and in the States will be interesting as well.

"We had a good experience in New York [in 2014] and after that we travel to [Scandinavia] and we finish with Man City just before the championship starts. Let's not forget that we play Liverpool and Leicester in the first two games so we have to be ready physically and fitness-wise."

Arsenal's first pre-season friendly will be against Lens on July 22.

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Gonzalo Higuain of Napoli celebrates after scoring goal 1-0 during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and FC Internazionale Milano at Stadio San Paolo on November 30, 2015 in Naples, Italy.
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