As Arsenal prepare to take on Bournemouth in California as the first test of their preseason tour, Mikel Arteta addressed the media to offer an insight into the squad’s mentality, when fans can expect to see international stars return to training and what the club are striving for in 2024/25.
The trip to the United States will form the backbone of the Gunners’ preseason campaign, with the clash against Bournemouth swiftly followed by further meetings with Manchester United and Liverpool. Arsenal will then return to Emirates Stadium, hosting Bayer Leverkusen and Olympique Lyonnais before the Premier League gets underway on August 17.
Embed from Getty ImagesArteta praised his squad as being “a joy of a team to work with – even today, straight away with jet lag and high temperatures, they train at the same intensity.”
The Gunners are yet to welcome back many of those players involved in the latter stages of EURO2024, though the Spaniard insisted that “there is a very well-thought-out plan of integration” that will be used when they do return.
“They’ll need to be able to get up to speed. When they come back, we’ll be working closely with them to follow the rhythm of the rest of the boys,” he explained, adding that “all of the messages I have got from them, they’re really excited to come back and have a great season again.”
One player yet to return from the EUROs is England’s Bukayo Saka, who netted a decisive penalty in the Three Lions’ shootout victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Arteta admitted that he “was very nervous” when watching the game, because “it plays back in your mind from a few years ago in that moment, but he showed a lot of guts and determination and composure to take it the way he did.”
“His role is constantly growing and evolving. He is a super important player for Arsenal and one of the main players for the national team, and at his age that’s a really rare thing to see.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe lack of several first-team players will afford opportunities to youngsters and those who have historically struggled for minutes, but Arteta insists that it’s crucial for Arsenal to “keep up the standards that we require at every level.”
“Physically, there are huge improvements to make and team cohesion is the same. Also, evolving in our culture, and earning the right to win games and playing better each time. The opposition are going be really tough and the goal is to win the games,” he said.
Facing such high-quality opponents in preseason should allow Arteta and his squad to assess their level ahead of the new Premier League campaign, having come so close to disrupting Manchester City’s dominance in the past two seasons.
“We’re so close,” quipped the Spaniard, who added that “when you are so close, you really want to grab it. But I think you have to analyse the whole thing. In the end, the outcome of this football club has to be to win major trophies, and we are in the process to achieve that – we are very close. The level that we are showing is extremely high, but it’s not been enough to win it. That’s the target.”
“Perfection in this league requires different standards to relate that world to winning the Premier League. That’s what we need to do, we need to upgrade everything we’re doing and improve in every area. That’s what we’re trying to do.”