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IN the hours following their Prem title heartbreak, the Arsenal squad – as well as their families, coaching staff and owner Josh Kroenke – attended a gathering at a venue in central London.
But instead of licking their wounds, boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that his players used it to plot this season’s title battle with Manchester City, telling him: “We’re going to do it”.
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The Gunners came agonisingly close to winning a first league trophy since 2004 last term, finishing two points off winners City with top spot still up for grabs on the final day back in May.
A 2-1 victory over Everton at the Emirates was not enough as Pep Guardiola’s City saw off West Ham 3-1 at the Etihad to earn a fourth crown on the bounce.
Yet after back-to-back second-place finishes, Arteta is confident his players have what it takes this campaign to finally dethrone the most dominate side in English football history.
Asked how hungry his squad is ahead of today’s opener against Wolves, Arteta explained: “Since the last day. It was the same evening as the Everton game. We had a gathering together with all the club.
“Everybody was talking about the same thing. They were saying to me: ‘We’re going to be better. We’re going to do it. We want more.’ They are the ones driving that ambition.
“We are not going to stop here and that we want much more. We know the things that we can still do better and how the players can still evolve.
“How we have evolved as a club is huge as well. How we feel playing at Emirates Stadium is another one.
“When you’re looking ahead and see everything that we are doing, everybody is so enthusiastic about it, that willingness to do better, to keep demanding of each other.
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“To look for higher ceilings, this is what everybody needs. It’s motivating. It’s inspiring. Every day is something new to look at. We are creating that culture and want to keep going.
“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.
“The main focus that we have as a coaching staff is to improve our players and give them the best possibility to find a level that probably they haven’t even dreamed about.”
Arsenal broke numerous records last season, including most wins in the Prem era [28], their second ever highest points tally [89], most set-piece goals [22] and a league-best defence [29].
However, Arteta has told his men to set new standards by using the pain of seasons gone by.
He said: “We need to break more of those records again, earn more points for sure. [Last year’s tally] 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.
“Whether it is pain, whether there are experiences, whether there are moments where you have to accept that somebody else has been better you want to get to where you aren’t.”
He continued: “I don’t know what perfect is but it has to be very close to the numbers that we’ve seen in recent years. For me, we’re still very far from perfection.
“I want a team that has no roof, can play in any context, dominate the opponent in any circumstance. Can play every three days.
“This team still has levels to reach and give me reasons to believe that because I see the way they train and the way they play every day. I believe there are still big rooms to improve.”
Having improved their points tally for four seasons on the spin, Arsenal will likely need to do what no Prem team has ever done and see progress for a fifth successive year.
But, can it really be progress without lifting the title in 2025? Arteta said: “I would love that feeling bit I cannot think about that right now.
“Everything I do, I try to win. I try to do it at my best. I am happier afterwards, I feel fulfilled. If I am not able to do it, I try to learn from it. That is the way I am.”
Full-back Jurrien Timber [foot] and midfielder Fabio Vieira [hip] are set to make the squad but Takehiro Tomiyasu [knee] and Kieran Tierney [hamstring] remain out injured.
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