Mikel Arteta sets points target for Arsenal to win Premier League

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will likely need 90 points to have any chance of winning a first Premier League title in 20 years.

The Gunners are battling Liverpool and Manchester City for the most coveted prize in English football, and face Sheffield United on Monday night looking to close the gap on the pair, who both struck late at the weekend to pick up wins over Nottingham Forest and Manchester United respectively.

To get to 90 points, Arsenal will need to win ten of their final 12 league games, which includes trips to City, Manchester United and north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

"You always ask me this question and I never get it right," Arteta remarked, when asked what it may take for Arsenal to get over the line. "The demands, you might have to win every game. I don’t know. I have no clue. There are a lot of games and we are all going to have crazy schedules and this league might be different to last season.

"Anything under 90 points I think would be very difficult."

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Arsenal also host Aston Villa and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium before the season's out, but the Spaniard is confident that his players' mentality is where it needs to be after winning six consecutive Premier League games since the turn of the year.

“Yes and the target is clear," Arteta said. "It's to be better every day so that when it comes to the weekend, earn the right to win and do everything you possibly can to win the game.

"This is the focus and the way I see them training every day gives me more confidence and more reasons to believe that we have a good chance because they really want it.”

Arsenal narrowly missed out on last season's title after a late wobble saw the club win just three of their final nine Premier League games. Their drop-off included a four-game winless run, which culminated in a crucial 3-1 defeat to City at the Etihad Stadium, and saw them finish the campaign on 84 points.

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