Arsenal stars in training as Arteta looks for further improvement - in pictures

Gunners are bidding for fifth straight victory in all competitions against Norwich on Boxing Day

Rob Holding and Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney in St Albans, England. All pictures Getty Images

Gabriel Martinelli and Nuno Tavares of Arsenal during the training session.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with Ben White.

Alex Lacazette of Arsenal during the training session at London Colney.

Gabriel and Eddie Nketiah prepare for the trip to Norwich.

Granit Xhaka take a break.

Mo Elneny during a training session.

Flo Balogun and Bukayo Saka during training.

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal are heading in the right direction but can still improve in the second half of the season.

The Gunners sit fourth in the Premier League and are through to the League Cup semi-finals following their 5-1 win over Sunderland in midweek.

The manager, who oversaw a training session ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Norwich where they will aim to notch up a fifth straight victory, said: “There are still a lot of things we need to get much better at and to improve but I think the team is going in the right direction, that is the feeling that I have.”

Sunday will mark two years since Arteta took charge of his first Arsenal match away to Bournemouth, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Of the 18-man matchday squad named for that clash at the Vitality Stadium in 2019, only eight are still part of the current first team which highlights the rebuild job that has been undertaken by the former Gunners captain.

“It’s been an incredible amount of turnaround in players in the last two seasons, much more than we wished or hoped for,” Arteta admitted.

“We try to make all the right decisions, sometimes right, sometimes wrong and we’ll continue to do that in the best interests of the club and to get a better team, better performances and better results.

“I’m most proud of the atmosphere, the environment and the culture we have around the club and the sense of unity that we have from everybody who works at the club.

“The sense of unity that we have with our supporters I think has come a long, long way.

“I think I have made a lot of mistakes for sure in this period, I would need to have time to reflect on that, but I don’t know, I wish I had six trophies here next to me because that’s what this club deserves!”