Mikel Arteta insists none of Arsenal’s players are remotely close to their peak, targeting “huge margins” for potential improvement in the Gunners’ future.
Arsenal will host Brighton on Sunday in the first of three final clashes to close their Premier League title chase with defending champions Manchester City.
The Gunners finished fifth last term and are doubtless ahead of anticipated development under Arteta, having turned the tussle with City into a genuine title battle.
Whatever happens at the finale of a fine campaign, Arteta has grand designs on Arsenal’s long-term future – and big demands on his squad’s development.
“We can be much, much better in lots of things, huge margins,” said Arteta. “We can be much better attacking man-to-man situations, we can be much better attacking open spaces, in set-pieces we have huge capacity still.
“In terms of game management we can be a lot better, we can be much more ruthless. There's a lot of things we have to seek to improve.
“We don’t have a single player that has reached their peak, no one. And we as coaches have to be curious to understand what can we do to improve them.
“They can empower each other and take their game to different levels. It’s about everything clicking, and getting into players and getting something else out of them.
“There are certain players that have to go to a different level in terms of leadership, what they transmit to the group, and in terms of responsibility and accountability for what happens here every single day.
“There’s a lot to do. But the players are the protagonists and we have to try to give them the tools that they can then know how to manipulate. There are moments to put those players in those moments, but now is not the moment in my opinion.”
