Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s past season was “almost perfect” and says he has no regrets despite missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side won a historic fourth Premier League title in a row, finishing three points above the Gunners in the table.
It is the second season in a row in which Arsenal have finished second to City, but speaking to CNN at the Globe Soccer Awards Europe, Arteta insists he has no regrets about the campaign.
“You look at moments in the season, but this season’s been almost perfect,” he said.
“To make the amount of points that we made, both us and City, in this competitive league. We cannot compare this league to what happened two years ago, three years ago, five years ago.
“Those numbers, it won’t happen. The level of the league, it’s at a different stage now.
“Now, recharge, try to be stronger, see where the margins are and go again next season.
“We have to better them. We are closer. When you see all the metrics we are right there. We’ve been the best team in the league in almost every metric.
“But there is a margin there that somehow we didn’t control well enough and the league is gone and that’s the level.
“It’s very challenging but it’s very inspiring to have a team with such a quality and such a consistency over the last seven, nine years, to try to be better than them and our focus is how we can improve.”
Arsenal spent more than £200m last summer in an effort to improve the squad to better challenge City and have been linked with spending big again this transfer window.
But Arteta says the focus is on his current group and where they can improve.
“All the margins, squad-wise, the process that we have at the football club, our methodology, especially on how we can make our players better, more competitive, more consistent and cause them to raise the level and be better than the previous season,” Arteta said.
“I think our focus has to be with what we have already in house. How can we be better?
“There are margins and there are players that can still develop and be better and that’s the objective that we have.
“Every decision we’re going to make is to be better, without losing who we are and everything that is taking us in the position that we are now as a football club, as a team.
“The ambition is there. The players, the staff. You can sense it. They want much more. They want to start lifting trophies and that’s the next step.”
FEATURED IMAGE: ADRIAN DENNIS/GETTY IMAGES VIA ONE FOOTBALL
