Topics: Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, Football, Premier League, Declan Rice
Mikel Arteta has identified the number of points that will win Arsenal the Premier League.
The Gunners have the chance to go five points clear at the top of the table with a win over Luton on Tuesday night before their closest title rivals, Liverpool play later this week.
The north London side have picked up where they left off last season and Arteta will undoubtedly have his sights set on the club's first domestic title in 20 years.
But in order to win, the Spaniard has set a lofty points target for his players, believing they may have to reach triple figures in order to land silverware.
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You can listen to what he said below.
Asked if he has a numerical target this season, Arteta told reporters: "Yes. 96-100 I think you win the league. That is the cushion.”
The Arsenal boss then laughed after he was reminded he set a target of 90 last season, before quipping: "So I say a number and then you don't like the number! Do you want me to change the number?"
Manchester City, who pipped Arsenal to the title last season, have drawn their last three Premier League matches to slip to third in the table.
“Do I take encouragement from that? No,” Arteta said.
“The encouragement comes from watching the team play, watching them behave every day and how hungry and willing they are to approach every training session.
"That’s what gives me encouragement. What the others do is something that we cannot control.”
Quizzed on whether £105 million summer signing Declan Rice gives Arsenal a better chance of winning the title this season, Arteta responded: "I don’t think about that.
"I think about how we’re going to play better tomorrow and be more consistent and be more difficult to beat and the things that we need to tweak and how we can use our players in the best possible ways to win. It’s still a huge marathon ahead of us."
