Arteta admits Arsenal only need small ‘improvement’ to finally end trophy drought

Mikel Arteta has once again hinted at a big summer for Arsenal after finishing runners-up again in the Premier League.

The Gunners came home behind Liverpool in 2024-25, rounding off their campaign with a 2-1 win away at Southampton on the final day.

Arteta’s men also faded out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage, losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the final four.

As a result, the Spaniard has called for more significant investment in the squad this summer, as he seeks a first piece of silverware since 2020.

Speaking after the game, he said: “We wanted to finish with that positivity, that good atmosphere and vibe. We had to say goodbye to a few players and I think they deserved that to happen in a nice environment.

“Josh [Kroenke] has been very clear in the direction and ambition we have. We’re going to try and see what we can do, make very subtle decisions, and respect what has taken us this far.

💬 “We’re so proud, the way they’ve done it, the way they have overcome adversity throughout the season.”

The boss chats summer plans and Arsenal Women’s Champions League feat in his final post-match interview of the season 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 25, 2025

“There’s not much improvement. We’ve finished second three times, reached the Champions League semi-finals. There’s that little percentage we need to nail.”

David Raya was a stand-out performer for the Gunners, earning a share of the Golden Glove alongside Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Mats Selz.

He was delighted with his individual contributions in North London this season, but he wants to see improvement as well next term.

Raya added: “I’m very pleased with my individual season. I stepped up my game from last year to this year, being a bit more settled into this amazing club. I’m just trying to do my job and help the team as much as possible.

“We know that there were some times [this season] where we conceded goals when we shouldn’t have, dropped points when we shouldn’t have. That’s part of football and something we need to learn. We need to see games out sometimes.”