Mikel Arteta has revealed he envisaged Arsenal lifting the Premier League title on their final home game of this season – and has called on his club to boost his squad in the transfer window as part of a “very exciting summer”.
Arsenal take on Newcastle on Super Sunday in their final home match of the season. The Gunners are 15 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool and could even lose second place to the Magpies if they lose.
It was a very different scenario from what the Arsenal manager envisaged in August.
“At the start of the season, if I had to visualise that moment, it would be playing the last home game on the final day and lifting the Premier League. That’s what I had in my head,” he told Sky Sports News’ James Savundra in an exclusive interview.
“Now, with everything we’ve gone through in the last 11 months, I think we can all hold our heads up but still have that pain in the tummy, because that’s what we want to achieve.”
Arsenal have now gone five straight seasons without silverware, having been knocked out of the Champions League and Carabao Cup semi-finals, while they were knocked out of the FA Cup third round by Manchester United on penalties.
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Asked what the main reasons for not achieving their aims this season were, Arteta was very clear: “Red cards and injuries, for sure.” The Gunners have endured more injuries than any other Premier League team this season, while their six sending offs are also a division high.
“But without that, we don’t know what would have happened,” the Arsenal boss added. “Would we have been much closer? For me, the answer is without a question, yes. Because of what we have been producing and the performances that we had.
“But we’re going to have to do something else [next season] because the bar will be raised.
“And when you look at the points that we’ve had in the last three seasons, the consistency of not winning a title is very rare. So we are very close, close in the probability so much, we have to continue to be there and be better.”
Pushed further on the statistics that cost Arsenal this season, the Arsenal manager said: “One number is availability. Without that one, you have no chance to win anything.
“There are some other statistics that are very, very relevant to winning football matches – not just dominate them, but to win them.
“But we are very clear on what brings success to us and what we have to do, then work on them, be more efficient and be better. The other one is the capacity to change games every three days and during the match – that’s where we have a big margin.”
More numbers, replacing exits and a new striker? Arteta on transfer plans
Talk soon moved on to the transfer window and what Arsenal need this season. Arteta believes the Gunners will need a bigger squad to compete with Liverpool next season.
The Arsenal manager also believes out-of-contract stars – such as Thomas Partey and Jorginho – may need to be replaced, as well as returning loan players such as Raheem Sterling and Neto.
Meanwhile, the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus are out with long-term injuries and may struggle to make the start of next season.
“We need that, for sure,” he said about summer signings. “With the numbers that we started the season and [the numbers] to provide for next season, with the demands we’re going to have and especially with the players that we have who are coming through long-term surgeries, it’s very unrealistic [to deliver trophies].
“We know that, we have to address that and we’re going to do everything we can to improve it.
“Especially because we are going to lose quite a lot of players. There are players out of contract, there are players who have come here on loan.
“So the squad becomes really thin on top of the injuries that we have. We know we have that duty, that necessity and we have players in the academy that can help. Great, but if not we know what we have to do.”
Asked if a new centre forward is at the top of that transfer list, Arteta responded: “Everything that is in both boxes that makes you better, I think – at the end of the day – it’s a key element. We all know that.”
Arteta and Berta aligned on what’s needed
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Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz analyses what Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta’s priorities will be and who the club could sign in the summer transfer window
Arteta has also promised a “very exciting summer” in north London, and said he and new sporting director Andrea Berta are completely aligned on what is needed in the transfer market.
Former Atletico Madrid transfer chief Berta arrived at Arsenal in March, replacing former sporting director Edu Gaspar who suddenly left the club in September.
“It’s going to be a very exciting summer,” said Arteta. “First of all, reviewing what we have done. Finding ways to increase the level of the team. Finding big margins where we can still develop our game model and our players, then putting those plans together, playing the pre-season.
“And then if we don’t have enough from that, then it’s about what do we need to recruit now to make the difference.”
Asked about the conversations he’s had with Berta, Arteta responded: “Since day one, when we were interviewing for that role. And he had it in front of him, it was very clear that this is, for me, what this squad needs to go to the next level. And we were very aligned.
“And you can tell – the experience he has, he’s built great squads and the major trophies he’s won – someone with that clarity is very, very helpful.”
Watch Arsenal vs Newcastle live on Sky Sports Premier League this Super Sunday; kick-off 4:30pm
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games from next season
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
