Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has admitted that the club’s campaign has been ‘unacceptable’ up to this point, reports Sky Sports.

The Gunners currently find themselves 5th in the Premier League, 24 points off leaders Manchester United and fighting to even hold a Europa League spot for next season.

Failure

In addition to their failures in the league, they are out of both domestic cup competitions and find themselves trailing Bundesliga side Bayern Munich 3-1 ahead of their UEFA Champions League 2nd leg tie at the Allianz Arena tomorrow night.

Arteta told the Daily Mail: “With 10 games to go and to be 24 points behind [the leaders], it’s an impossible catch and that, for me, is unacceptable

“We can’t be in that position because we have the best basic structure I’ve ever seen at a football club. Great philosophy, good players, we’ve got financial backing to do whatever we want, unbelievable crowds for the stadium. Let’s go for it!

“Staying in the Champions League is massive. If we don’t get in those spots it makes everything much more difficult. To any team with top players, you have to ask what’s going to happen. There’s only one answer: we want to improve the team

“We want to be better and next season we want to get more points, which means we will have won more games. I think the board know that and, hopefully, this summer we’ll do something about it.”

Departure

The Spaniard expresses that the reason for his departure from Everton was to guarantee Champions League football and that he would be unhappy if the club fail to achieve this next season.

He added: “When I decided to leave Everton and join Arsenal, playing in the Champions League was a major factor.

“To play in those big games is a great experience and I don’t regret the decision. It improves you as a player.

“It’s a good test to see where you are. Sometimes you think you are playing unbelievable but then you play in the Champions League against top players and you think: ‘I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The club have managed to secure Champions League football every season under current manager Arsene Wenger, dating back to 1996, and they are looking to extend this record.

However with Tottenham Hotspur in fine form despite a 3-2 loss at Liverpool last Sunday, it could prove to be difficult for the Gunners.