Arteta laughs off forgotten Arsenal achievement that was ignored in conference

If you're wondering how many points Arsenal need to at least salvage Champions League football, don’t bother.

The days of the north Londoners mooching around by the VIP entrance, hoping to scramble a late pass into the elite European competition are over, under Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal boss chuckled at the training ground on Friday as he reflected on the achievement passing under the radar with the focus on their slim title hopes.

Insisting there is more to come from the team that has fought for a top four place and two titles in the last three seasons, he said: “Nobody has even asked about us qualifying for the Champions League! Not a single question!

“Now the only focus is on winning the Premier League. So next season, what is it going to be?

"These are the demands. This is how we live in this world. It is about now, what you have done and what else we have not done?

“The question now is what else? What do we have to do now? What you have done? Champions League football is taken for granted.”

Arsenal host Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon aiming to pile scoreboard pressure onto defending Champions Manchester City, one point behind with a game in hand. The Gunners have won 25 top-flight games this season, one short of equalling the club's Premier League record for a single campaign.

They also have the best defence and the best attack with 85 goals this season, scoring more on only two occasions in Premier League history. City will lift the title if they win their remaining games, however, a fact that brings Arteta down to earth as he toasts the latest stage of his team’s progress.

“Obviously that is the first thing we wanted to achieve, consistent Champions League football,” he said. “It is the second year in a row, a consistent challenge for big titles. We are doing this. But we know what the aim is and it is right there. Let’s see if we can do it.”

The Spaniard has just one year left on his current contract but the expectation is that the Emirates bosses delighted with his progress will extend his deal so that he can build a dynasty.

“I would love to do that,” he went on. “The demands here are so big and the expectation is going to be bigger and bigger.

“My job is to fulfil them and to find the tools and communicate in the right way. The hope and the ambition is to go much further than we are right now.”

While captain Martin Odegaard has been outstanding this season, he was beaten to the Football Writers’ Player of the Year award by City’s Phil Foden.

Arteta went on: “It’s great to have two players nominated in those categories. It shows you how good they are and how far they have come. It also tells us a lot about the team, their teammates and how important they are for our club.”