The Belgian missed the middle eight months of the 2010/11 season thanks to an Achilles injury, but returned for the London side's final two Premier League matches.
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And the 25-year-old centre-back believes it is important for everybody at Emirates Stadium to forget the frustrations of last term and approach the new season with a positive mindset.
“Everybody starts from zero and everybody has to start again,” he told Arsenal's official website.
“You get a new chance and that’s always a good feeling when people give you another chance to win something. The past is behind us and it’s good to look into the future.
“That’s what we do now - we start all over again with a new chance and we will go for it this year.”
Vermaelen also spoke of his excitement at playing in the upcoming Emirates Cup, in which Arsenal will compete with New York Red Bulls, Paris Saint-Germain and Boca Juniors in their now traditional pre-season warm-up.
“These are the first games we play at the Emirates in the season so it always feels like a new start,” the former Ajax star explained. “It feels like that so I am looking forward to playing there."
WIN:Tickets to the 2011 Emirates Cup
