Arsenal are preparing for another Premier League campaign in which they will battle Manchester City for a long-awaited title.
Mikel Arteta’s team finished second in each of the last two seasons, but they are getting closer. There was a five-point gap between Arsenal and Man City two years ago, and this was reduced to two points as the Gunners took Pep Guardiola’s side to the final day of the campaign.
Arsenal will now hope that they can go one step further and win the title this season. This would be their first triumph since the Invincibles won the Premier League undefeated in 2004, but it is not an easy task.
Man City now have the quality and experience to go the distance in the title race with ease, and are aiming to win for the fifth consecutive season. However, Arteta has now laid out a plan to his players with the aim of snatching their crown.
Mikel Arteta lays out title demands to Arsenal squad
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta explained what his side needs to do to go that one step further in the title race.
“I think nobody is going to put more demands – there is no computer, there is nobody externally who is going to put more demands than we will on ourselves, so that’s it, let’s give it a go,” he claimed.
“It’s going to be about the journey, and we have to think about the start, where we want to be on day one. I think we had a good pre-season where we saw big strides and we’re ready to go.
Arteta was then asked whether the last two season’s point totals has given his side extra belief in the title race.
“For sure that’s what we’ve done (improving points totals each year). To improve those numbers becomes really, really tricky, but this is the level that is required to win this Premier League,” he added.
“With the competition that we have in the league, every year is going to be harder, so we have to be better. We have to find margins in areas that we probably haven’t explored before, and we all have to set new standards. If we do that, we’re going to give ourselves a very good chance.”
Mikel Arteta’s five-step Arsenal plan
Arteta has essentially called on his squad to do five things to put themselves in the best possible position when it comes to the title.
High demands from within
Throughout his reign as Arsenal manager, Arteta has emphasised the need for a cultural shift to raise the standards within the club. Now they will have high external expectations on them, Arsenal players will need to continue driving each other to keep their standards high.
Strong start to the season
Arteta has emphasised the importance of a strong pre-season and a fast start to the campaign. Arsenal drew two of their first five games last season, and despite a tough fixture list, will hope to fly off the mark in the opening weeks of the campaign.
Look forward not back
Arteta’s side fell short against City twice in a row, and will want to learn from their mistakes. However, Arteta has now encouraged Arsenal to enjoy the journey and focus on what is to come, rather than dwelling on what happened in the last two title races.
Find new marginal gains
Arsenal finished just two points behind Man City last season, and the gap could hardly be smaller. Closing this gap does not require wholesale changes, but marginal gains wherever possible.
Arteta will aim to find areas in his tactics and squad to boost where they may not have before, and a big factor in this could be increased rotation throughout the Arsenal squad.
Set new standards
Arteta has highlighted the need to raise the bar even higher than last season. Arsenal recorded their best goals tally and best defensive record in Premier League history, and their highest point total since 2004, but it still wasn’t enough. They now need to do even better than before if they are to taste title glory.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
