Interview

Arteta - I want to see our players' reaction

Pre-season hasn't even started yet, but Mikel Arteta is already focused on 2020/21.

It will be the first full season of our head coach's project and after steering us to a record 14th Emirates FA Cup at the end of last term, he is excited to get going once again.

So, if we sat down with him at this time next year, where would he expect us to be in the process?

"It's an impossible question," Arteta told Arsenal Digital. "I don't even know where we are going to be on day one of pre-season. I have to look at the players, how they come from holidays, how they come after winning, I want to see that reaction.

"You know, are they going to be a little more relaxed because we've done something or are they going to come with 'Okay, this is nothing that we've done. We have to go to the next level, we have to apply ourselves better, we have to improve in a lot of areas and we have to dominate many other aspects of the game that at the moment we cannot control'.

"If that is the mindset, then I am very positive that we will be sitting here in a year's time really happy. But I hope we take that road straight away.

"I am very positive about where we are," Arteta added. "I don't know if we are ahead of schedule, obviously if you had told me that we were going to win the cup before we joined then I probably would be happy with that.

"What I am very positive and very passionate and encouraged about is what we can do in the future and if we make the right decisions I am super confident that we can bring the club back to the top."

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