Mikel Arteta has insisted he has no interest in the battle for supremacy in London, as that accolade will come automatically if Arsenal reach his goal of being Premier League champions.
Arsenal face Tottenham in a north London derby on Sunday, and they head into the game with only Fulham and Crystal Palace from the London contingent below them in the table.
The Gunners are staring up at Tottenham, West Ham and Chelsea in the table, but Arteta is not fazed by that fact.
What was said?
“No,” he said to the Mirror, when asked if being the fourth-best team in London was acceptable. “We want to be the best - and not in London.
“We want to be the best in the league.
“That is the standard we have to try to reach because of the expectation we have and what this club has done over the years.
“I’m not interested about London. I’m interested about the whole country and being the best in the country.”
The balance of power in London
Arsenal have lagged behind in the battle for supremacy in London since 2016, when they finished second in the table to shock winners Leicester.
| London supremacy since Arsenal were last dominant | |||||
| 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 | 19-20 | 20-21* | |
| Arsenal | 5th | 6th | 5th | 8th | 10th |
| Chelsea | 1st | 5th | 3rd | 4th | 4th |
| Crystal Palace | 14th | 11th | 12th | 14th | 11th |
| Fuilham | N/A | N/A | 19th | N/A | 18th |
| Tottenham | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 6th | 7th |
| West Ham | 11th | 13th | 10th | 16th | 5th |
When will Arsenal be primed for a title challenge?
Arsenal’s challenge failed to get off the ground this term and they are struggling to secure a place in Europe for next season.
Arteta’s aim is to see progress, but does not know when they will be title contenders.
“The way we are going to evolve this squad is not being done in this window,” he said. “It’s going to be a constant thing and it has to be a constant thing.
“When you talk about the transfer windows, it’s very difficult to explain as well about these transfer windows and how they were dealt with.
“The progression of the team and when we are able to do that?
“I don’t know. If I would know, I would give you a date.
“What I know is that tomorrow it has to be a better team than today.”