Although the club’s supporters are likely to feel disappointed with Arsenal’s final Premier League position last season, there was enough about their play under Mikel Arteta to be encouraged by what’s to come.
An FA Cup final win was the perfect way for the Spaniard to sign off on his first half-season at the helm of a club he served so well as a player himself, but that would appear to be just the beginning.
The north Londoners, by virtue of their cup win, qualified for the Europa League, however, Arteta wants to go one better this season.
“It is fundamental for the future of this club to play in the Champions League every season,” he said ahead of the Community Shield match against Liverpool, and cited by the Daily Star.
“We know how difficult it is in the Premier League at the moment with the teams around us.
“We need to make a lot of good decisions, put a lot of good work together, and make sure that we maximise all our resources on and off the field to try to achieve that.
“I don’t know how difficult it is going to be but I can assure you that my aim is only the top. I don’t see anything different.
“Where we are going to reach will depend on our preparation, our quality, our bit of luck and our momentum, how strong we are as a club, our opponents as well.
“It will dictate that. But our aim has to be all the time to be the best or if not the best then the best we can be with the circumstances and context that we have.
“Let us see what we are capable of doing but I don’t want to take anything less than that.”
The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the finances of businesses everywhere, and football clubs have not been immune.
Arsenal themselves have had to make 55 staff redundant according to the Daily Star.
With all of the riches on offer in European football’s premier competition, qualification for the Champions League has to be the bare minimum that the Gunners should settle for in 2020/21.