Mikel Arteta says Arsenal must be almost ‘perfect’ to ensure they take title away from Man City and compares their aim to that of climbing the highest mountain; face Wolves in opener today
Arsenal’s Jorginho (left) and Thomas Partey during a training session in London Colney, England, yesterday. PIC/Getty Images
Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal will have to be almost perfect in their pursuit of Manchester City if the Gunners are to end their long wait for a Premier League title. Arteta’s side enjoyed a record-breaking 2023/24 campaign, winning more games than ever before in the division, but were still pipped to the title.
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City finished two points above Arsenal thanks to their last-day victory against West Ham, rendering Arsenal’s win over Everton irrelevant. Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s league opener at home to Wolves on Saturday, was asked what it would take to finally win the title after finishing as runners-up to City in the last two seasons.
Mikel Arteta
‘Earn more points’
The Arsenal manager made it clear his team would have to reach new heights to shatter City’s four-year grip on the title. “Break more of those records again, earn more points, for sure,” the Spaniard said. “It [89 points] won’t be enough. With the level we are competing with and every season is getting harder, we are going to have to improve again. I don’t know what perfect is but it has to be very close to the numbers that we’ve seen in recent years.”
Haven’t won since 2003-04
Arsenal haven’t won the title since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ went unbeaten through the 2003-04 league campaign. But the painful near-misses endured by Arteta’s men over the last two years have not dulled their appetite for success. “We had a gathering together with all the club players and the players were saying to me, ‘We’re going to be better, we’re going to do it, we want more’,” Arteta said.
“They are the ones driving that ambition, so that’s always positive. It’s like you’re trying to climb the highest mountain, the most difficult leap in the world and you’re surrounded by people trying to achieve the same ambition. We’re certainly going to try.”
Zubimendi decided not to come: Slot
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said on Friday that key transfer target Martin Zubimendi had “decided not to come” to Anfield from Real Sociedad. “I’ve said many times already that our squad is really strong and it’s not so easy to find players who can help us or improve the squad. Zubimendi was one of them to be fair, but he decided not to come,” Slot told reporters ahead of his team’s EPL opener at Ipswich on Saturday.
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