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Mikel Arteta has outlined his pre-season priorities as he looks to build on last year’s record-breaking campaign.

In our detailed interview, the manager looks back on last season’s exciting title fight and explains how his team can improve and go one step further this time.

Speaking during the off-season training camp in Marbella, the head coach said he was proud of many aspects of his team’s performance in recent years, saying the increased sense of togetherness across the club and among fans around the world had been a key pillar of recent improvements.

But he was far from resting on his laurels, on the contrary. The challenge now is to maintain the positive aspects that have proven so effective while improving the marginal differences that could secure the team another – hopefully decisive – step forward in the 2024/25 season, he explained.

“We know the demands of the league and the competition we face,” he began, “so we’re just working on finding ways to improve and figuring out where we still have room to improve.

“That pain (from last season) is still there and I think it has to stay, but after analyzing the whole season with all the staff, the team has achieved a lot and probably in any other context we would have won the Premier League and that’s a big jump. But it’s not enough.”

The team broke a number of records last season – including new club records for wins and goals in a Premier League season – and we also remained unbeaten in all 10 games against the rest of the traditional ‘Big Six’. An achievement, the boss believes, is hugely significant and should give the players even more confidence.

“Yes, that was very important. First of all, to give us a chance to compete in the league, but also to show our consistency, our skills and our quality against the top teams in the country. That we can actually beat them all in a consistent way and that we are dominant in doing so and deserve to win, which I think is the most important thing. So that was another big step, but it’s not enough, so we have to improve again.

“The statistics show a high level of quality and consistency. You talk about the defence, the attack, about set pieces and that is really positive because it shows that the team is starting to dominate many areas that are necessary to win major trophies. So we are definitely on the right track.”

The club has undoubtedly made steady improvements in recent seasons, increasing our points tally year on year since Arteta took over in December 2019. Last year was the first season we were still in the title race on the final day since we last won the league in 2004, and the manager believes he has seen a real change in mentality across the board that has put us in a position where we are ready to win.

“That’s certainly true and we’ve done it across the club – in every department, not just football or the first men’s team. But when you look at the performances of our academy and the women’s team and the first men’s team, the environment we’ve created and our fans, it’s different. It’s a different hunger and it’s a different look.”

“We are really showing our teeth because we want to win and we know that this is the key to success if we want to achieve this on a long-term basis and get the club into the position we want.

“First and foremost, it’s about believing. We have to believe that we are good enough to do it. And I feel that belief. The club is really hungry and we want more.”

The hard work and preparation for next season has already begun, two to three weeks before the official start of pre-season training. The players who missed out on the Copa America or the European Championships have reported for warm weather training in Marbella at the end of June and he wants to use these first few weeks to build momentum for the rest of pre-season training.

“The players who arrive first will set the tone for those who come back later because we have four different groups arriving at different stages of pre-season and they really need to feel that.

“I can’t tell them much. They know. They know they’re really good and they were good enough to win, but there are certain differences and certain things that are sometimes intangible but are necessary to win.”

“For me, the best thing is when they come here on day one and look at us, when they see the attitude and the preparation, when they hear the words with which we start the preparation for this season and then they say: ‘Wow, this is a new level again, so what we did last season is not going to be enough. If I want to play and compete in this team, I have to do something special.’

“There are margins everywhere, and some of them can be tiny but have huge impacts, some are really big. First of all, we need to continue to consistently do all the right things that we’re doing and, if possible, do them a little bit better. That’s the first part. Then the other part is, OK, what other areas are there that we can improve on and address those and simplify everything we do in a really efficient way.

“Some people say we need to work a little more efficiently. I think we’re going to try to work harder and be more efficient. That’s the goal.”

Click play on the video above to watch the full interview with Mikel Arteta.