Arsenal: Mikel Arteta admits seventh-place and qualification for Europe is NOT success

Mikel Arteta admits seventh place and a pass the Europa Conference League cannot be classified as success but will try to give Arsenal fans something to cheer by finishing the season above rivals Tottenham.

‘Anything that is in our hands to make them happy and to help us to be in a better place today, it’s all positive,’ said Arteta when asked about moving past Spurs on Sunday.

Arsenal can finish the season above their North London neighbours for the first time since 2016 if they beat Brighton and Tottenham drop points at Leicester.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says that finishing seventh is not success for the north Londoners

The Gunners have been well under-par this season with a series of lacklustre performances

To reach seventh and be part of UEFA’s new third-tier competition next season they also have to better Everton’s result at Manchester City.

Arteta said: ‘We have experienced in the last few years how tough being in the Europa League is with the amount of games and the short turnaround all the time in the Premier League.

‘There is a lot of history with teams involved in the Europa League, and the negative consequences that has in the Premier League positions. But we have tried to give it the best possible go, we came a little bit short, but this club has to be in Europe.

‘Let’s try to finish as high as possible and then after we will determine, once we are involved, what the best way is to do it.’ 

However, Arteta’s side still have a chance of finishing seventh and sealing European football

Arsenal can also leapfrog arch rivals Tottenham in what would be a boost for supporters

Asked whether seventh was good enough for Arsenal, he replied: ‘No, it’s not where we want to be.’

With one game remaining, however, they have already amassed more points than last season, and Arteta believes he is making progress behind the scenes.

‘The fact that we don’t have a title so close to grab because we’re not in the Europa League final makes it difficult to see more positives,’ he said. ‘But we were knocked out in the last-16 of the Europa League last season and a lot of things have been done that were very necessary in this season that are not related to results.

‘In the league we have two more points than last season, but it’s nowhere near where we want to be. At the end of the day, we are here to win.’

Arteta says Arsenal should be aiming higher, although they have improved on last season