Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have taken a step back in the Premier League this season based on their points total and confirms his side will give Liverpool a guard on honour.
The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from their Champions League defeat to PSG in midweek, facing the already-crowned league champions.
And for the third season in a row, Arsenal are set to finish as Premier League runners-up, although they hold just a three-point cushion over Man City, who face relegated Southampton this weekend.
Speaking ahead of the Super Sunday clash, Arteta admitted his team have improved in Europe – but regressed in the league.
“In the Champions League, we have because we did better than last season but not where we want because we wanted to win it,” he said.
“In the Premier League, we’ve made a step backwards. With the points we’ve created, it’s clear we haven’t done as well as last season.”
In each of the last two seasons, Arsenal have broken the 80-point barrier. In the 2022/23 campaign, the Gunners registered 84 points, and they amassed 89 points last term.
Arteta claims that, based on those two totals, Arsenal could have won the Premier League title.
“We [the current Arsenal squad] are there,” he said. “With the amount of points we generated over the last few seasons, we could have two Premier Leagues.
“We’re not close, we are there. We are providing the numbers that win you titles. We have to be a little bit luckier, do better and hope nobody does better than you.
“You need a lot of factors to go your way, like that decision in the clinical moment… We’ve tried to amplify the margins. The bigger the margins are, then it will be very difficult for the opposition.”
‘Liverpool deserve guard of honour’
Chelsea give Liverpool a guard of honour, much to the unhappiness of the Stamford Bridge crowd
Arsenal will be giving Liverpool a guard of honour after their Premier League title win, and Arteta had nothing but praise for the Reds.
“They deserve that,” he said. “They’ve been the better team, the most consistent. What Arne and the coaching staff have done is fascinating, it’s been really good.
“That’s sport. Someone is better, you have to applaud and accept and try to reach that level.
“When you get so close to big trophies and you don’t achieve it, it has to be part of that journey to be able to go immediately into a different competition and to perform at the highest level.”
Sunday 11th May 4:15pm
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Arteta stands by recent claims of ‘best in Europe’
Latest from Sky Sports reporter James Savundra at Arsenal:
“Less than 48 hours on from Arsenal’s gut-wrenching defeat in Paris, Mikel Arteta faced the media as he and his squad attempt to rouse themselves for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
“The Spaniard raised eyebrows in recent days with a number of his assertions. Namely, that Arsenal were the better side across two legs against PSG; that they have been the best side in the Champions League this season; AND that they could have two Premier League titles, based on their points tally in the previous two campaigns.
Arteta reveals PSG’s bench told him the best team lost after two legs of gallant effort from his Arsenal side as their Champions League dream came to an end with a 3-1 defeat on aggregate
“Today, Arteta stood by every single one of those statements. However, he did admit that ‘it’s not about the winning probability or what you merit, it’s actually making it happen and making it count’.
“The Arsenal boss hopes the pain of laying on a guard of honour for Liverpool this weekend could provide a motivating factor for his squad as they prepare to end a fifth straight campaign without a trophy.
“There’s a danger that the club will go 18 points behind the champions Liverpool if they are beaten on Sunday. A significant gap in a campaign where Arsenal were expected to make their best challenge for the title yet.
“Evidently, Arteta didn’t feel that now was the best time to address a clearly vital summer transfer window and a need to sign a striker, but he’s unwavering in his belief that Arsenal are getting closer to achieving something special.
“‘We are providing the numbers that win you titles,’ he said. ‘We have to be a little bit luckier, but still do better.'”
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