Arteta: 'Arsenal will improve even more'

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes the Gunners can continue to improve and reach even higher levels of form, following their 6-0 win over Lens in the Champions League.

"I think there are more levels for the team to aim for. I hope so," Arteta said on December 1 at a press conference ahead of the match against Wolves in round 14 of the Premier League. "We have to maintain what we are doing well to win, but I think the team can still improve and be more consistent."

Coach Arteta directs Arsenal's training session at Colney, London on December 1. Photo: arsenal.com — Coach Arteta directs Arsenal's training session at Colney, London on December 1. Photo: *arsenal.com*

On November 29, Arsenal played their best match of the season when they crushed Lens 6-0 to advance to the next round as the first team in Group B of the Champions League with one round left. The Gunners set many impressive milestones when they became the first English club to lead by five goals in the first half of the Champions League, and also the first team to have five different players score in the first half in the history of the tournament, not counting own goals.

Arsenal also became the second English team, after Man Utd, to score four goals in the first 27 minutes of a Champions League game. Man Utd set the record in their 5-0 win over Brondby in the 1998-99 season, when they won the treble. Arsenal also recorded the biggest win by an English club over a French opponent in European competition.

According to Arteta, Arsenal are always different every season, and this is part of the process of development. "Arsenal are different from last season, and hopefully will be very different from next season," the Spanish coach said. "It is part of the process of development by leaving some things of the past to make way for new things. It is a transformation. But the same thing is we still want to compete, to win, and I think the whole team is playing very well."

Arteta highly rates Wolves and believes Arsenal will find it difficult to have a sublime match with a big win like against Lens, even though they continue to play at home at Emirates Stadium. Arteta also highly rates his colleague Gary O'Neil who can help Wolves play well, currently ranked 12th in the Premier League despite only taking over the team from Julen Lopetegui a few days before the tournament started.

If Arsenal beat Wolves, they could extend the gap with Man City to four points, and put pressure on the defending champions when they face Tottenham on December 3. When asked about this prospect, Arteta replied: "We can only control what we can do. I realise that the word 'if' is not a positive thing to remember in this tournament. We just try to win tomorrow."

After an unimpressive start, Kai Havertz has scored in both of Arsenal's last two games. The German scored the only goal in the Gunners' win at Brentford in the 13th round of the Premier League and then opened the scoring in the win over Lens in the Champions League. This is the first time Havertz has scored in two consecutive games after 31 club games in all competitions, excluding penalties.

Arteta believes Havertz has had positive performances since the start of the season and is increasingly confident and integrated in the new shirt. "When you feel loved, respected, admired, everything is much easier," he said. "Your energy, your body language is better, and I think that's how Havertz has felt in the last few days."

Hong Duy

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