As Alex Iwobi faces his old club Arteta says Arsenal must improve in two areas to be title contenders

As Alex Iwobi faces his old club l Arteta says Arsenal must improve in two areas to be title contenders

 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits they must improve in both penalty areas if they are going to win the Premier League title after his side were beaten by West Ham on Thursday.

The Gunners face Fulham on Saturday at Craven Cottage with Alex Iwobi against his old club.

The Spaniard admits that his team must improve their efficiency in front of goal and be more solid in defence to have a chance of becoming champions, despite being just two points behind league-leaders Liverpool.

Asked if his side can win the Premier League this season, he said: ‘If we don’t improve in the boxes, no. Because at the end that is what it is.

‘It’s not panic, it is about trying to do more, do better, and win games. If the team plays like this, we are going to win a lot of games.

‘We have to do what we can control. It’s not time to look at other teams. You see how difficult it is for other teams yesterday and today and it is going to continue to be like that because the level of the league is incredible.’

A packed December schedule has seen Arsenal play seven games and still have one to come on New Year’s Eve and it was put to Arteta that big players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli need a rest after a dip in form.

‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘Obviously, there are a lot of games but they looked really good, looked fresh. When you win, you don’t look at that. They are young. If they were 35 maybe it would be a different question. They are young, they have a lot of energy. They can keep going, that is for sure.

‘Without a spark, you don’t generate what the team generated today. It is impossible. But it is the final thing, the final touch, the final action that puts the ball in the net or not. That is what we need.’

Attempting to recover from recent losses earlier in the week, Fulham and Arsenal, London-based rivals, clash at Craven Cottage for their last Premier League fixture of 2023 on New Year’s Eve.

David Raya will function in between the sticks for the Gunners hoping to earn a clean sheet. William Saliba will play alongside Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s defence as they try to restrict the Fulham attackers from scoring this weekend.

Ben White will fill in as a right-back while Oleksander Zinchenko looks to catch the eye as the left-back. Both of them would be eager to put in a positive showing versus the Cottagers in this away encounter. Jakub Kiwior will be named on the bench as he provides cover for the defensive spots.

Kai Havertz will operate alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the midfield. All three of them will look to dictate the tempo of the game and engineer some promising opportunities in the final third to win this contest.

Jorginho will have to settle for a place on the bench as he waits for a chance to make an impact in the second half if required.

Leandro Trossard will be given a chance to operate as the left-winger while Bukayo Saka looks to put his pace to good use on the right flank.

Gabriel Jesus will lead the charge for the Gunners in the final third. He would be eager to impress by producing an influential display this weekend.

Gabriel Martinelli will take a spot on the bench and could come on in the second half of the match if the North London club are need in of a goal.