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Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has advised current boss Mikel Arteta to improve the team without losing key players and to contend for big titles. The Gunners are set to end yet another season without major silverware.
In the Premier League, Arteta's side are set for a third-straight second-placed finish, with Liverpool having already clinched the title. The Gunners impressed in the UEFA Champions League, beating holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, but fell to quadruple-chasing PSG in the next round.
Amid reports of Real Madrid interested in centre-back William Saliba, Petit told Casinozonderlimiet (via Metro) that the Gunners need to keep hold of their key players while improving in other areas.
"Arsenal are still second and got to the semi-final of the Champions League, so it’s about what happens next in the transfer market. The club needs to bring in top players and keep hold of their best players, like William Saliba, who Real Madrid want.
"After we lost against Paris Saint-Germain, the fans were mocking Arsenal because of that. It’s the same in England, you know, Arsenal are a good team, a good club, but everyone says that they are not one of the top clubs in Europe in terms of history.
Petit added:
"That’s because they have failed, and I’m tired of it. This team needs to change the situation and win something, they need to compete until the end and not just at the start."
"Arsenal need to improve season after season and win the Champions League to prove people wrong. If you want to compete with the best clubs in Europe, you have to improve your squad every season, and that happens by keeping hold of your best players."
The Gunners have never won the Champions League, while they last won the Premier League in 2004.
Arsenal vs Newcastle United: A few tidbits
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Gunners boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal, coming off a come-from-behind 2-2 draw at champions Liverpool, next take on fellow UEFA Champions League-chasing Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arteta's side have a good home record in the league against Newcastle, winning 17 of 20 games, losing one. However, they lost the reverse fixture 1-0 at St. James' Park in November and looking to avoid their first league double against the Magpies since 1995.
Eddie Howe's side, meanwhile, are on the cusp of something historic. Having beaten Arteta's side thrice this season (once in the league and twice in the Carabao Cup), they are looking to become the first team to beat the Gunners four times in a season.
Newcastle (66), third in the league with two games left, will usurp the Gunners (68) with a win and give themselves a great chance of finishing second.
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Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.
Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.
Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.
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