Against the odds Arsenal have launched a title challenge that few thought possible just a year ago. Few even had the Gunners finishing in the top four, let alone nearly winning the Premier League.
With that in mind there is little shame in narrowly missing out on the to a formidable Manchester City side who could well win the treble. Mikel Arteta, though, has no intentions of settling for second.
The Spaniard instead wants to build on what he and his coaching staff have achieved in the coming months. As Arsenal seek to bridge the gap to City, Arteta admitted this summer was going to be a defining one.
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“Crucial I would say," he said when asked to describe the importance of the upcoming summer. "To go to the next level is going to be a crucial summer for us. That is for sure.
"First of all to make sure that we maintain everything that we have at the club right now. That we maintain expectations, that we maintain enthusiasm and energy that is around the place and we have a proper preparation to fulfil the objectives and the challenges that we will have next season."
The Gunners don't have to look too far to see what can happen if success is not supplemented with investment in the squad. Only a few seasons ago their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur were challenging for the league title themselves.
However, after finishing second in the 2016 with a tally of 86 points that could well be similar to the total that Arsenal end up on this season, Spurs failed to improve the level of their squad in the transfer market. It's a missed opportunity that they are still paying for now as they scrap to even secure Europa League qualification this season.
Arsenal are keen to avoid the same fate and Arteta has revealed that plans are already underway to ensure that doesn't happen. "By being on top of everything every single day," he said when asked what the Gunners needed to do to avoid Spurs' example. "That is what you can do. Keep your eyes open, your ears open… smell… then everything has to go your way.
"You need people to be healthy. You need your players to be healthy to compete with the top teams in the Premier League. And at the crucial moment you need everybody to be at their best physically, mentally in terms of confidence. Those are the factors that contribute in the end to the team winning or not winning. The margin is minimal and we are there."
Arsenal have already begun plans for a further squad overhaul this summer. Granit Xhaka is set to leave to join Bayer Leverkusen, while a bid is being prepared to bring Declan Rice in from West Ham.
The Gunners are also interested in signing Moises Caicedo and would like to bring in a centre-back and a forward as Arteta looks to compete in both the Premier League and Champions League.
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