When asked by ESPN this week about Liverpool beating Arsenal to win the Premier League, Mikel Arteta said: "You have to accept that there is one opponent who is better than you in terms of results and the whole squad. And in a league, the Premier League, this opponent is better than us and we have to think about improving.
What has hurt us a lot this year is the number of injuries we have to deal with top players."
Arteta is often not the one to publicly say his disappointment, but he has repeatedly mentioned Arsenal's need to improve the players' ability to play.
In a often-used saying, at least three times last week, Arteta mentioned going into the dressing room before the first leg against PSG and seeing everyone sitting in line together, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho. All 7 players are unable to play.
Arteta is right to say that the Gunners have dealt with injuries in the way Liverpool have largely avoided. Only two players have played the full 3,150 minutes of the Premier League season so far: Brentford's Nathan Collins and Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk.
Next was Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo with 3,145 minutes and then Mohamed Salah with 3,107 minutes. Arsenal's most used player is William Saliba (2,906) but the player in the same position as Salah, Saka, only had 1,544 minutes.
Club captain Martin Odegaard, who suffered an ankle injury in September 2024, has 2,134 minutes. This is too low a number for a midfielder who brings everything together like a team smash.
Ben White has been out for three months with knee problems, while Havertz and Jesus missed the final leg and will not return until next season. Most teams have struggled with another crazy campaign, but Liverpool have simply handled it better than Arsenal.
"I think they are very stable, they definitely deserve the championship. They have a whole squad that is not injured, with top players playing well" - Arteta said about Liverpool.
Speaking last month, Arteta was asked what Arsenal need to compete in all four competitions. "The quality of the squad and readiness. Without those two things, we can't compete in four leagues. At this level, especially in this country, it is impossible," the Spaniard replied.
Arsenal's summer has not depended solely on signing a striker. Sources have told ESPN that The Gunners are expected to complete a €60 million transfer deal with Martin Zubimendi. This is a deal that will be a big deal for Liverpool as The Kop also tried to recruit the midfielder from Real Sociedad last summer.
Zubimendi chose to stay in Spain but was changed by Arteta and Arsenal in a move to strengthen the area where they are about to lose Jorginho. Partey has reached the end of his contract and although there are negotiations about a possible extension, the possibility of leaving cannot be ruled out.
In other positions, Arsenal need to sign a reserve goalkeeper when Neto's loan deal from Bournemouth ends. Espanyol's Joan Garcia is the preferred choice. A winger will strengthen the attack, with Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao in their reach.
Asked if there will be many changes to the squad in the summer, Arteta said: "Let's wait and see at the end of the season. It will depend on what happens to many players."
Arsenal appointed Andrea Berta as sporting director in March in the hope he could take the "Gunners" to the winning position. And the time has come for Berta and Arteta to carry out their mission.
