Arteta: I'm still hurting for the lost title

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted it hurt him to miss out on the Premier League title, but he is happy with the progress of the team which had previously lost its "soul". The Gunners led the table for 248 days of the season before being overtaken in the final stretch by treble-winning champions Manchester City.

"Even now it hurts me a lot that we didn't win the championship, even though we fought Man City for 10 months," Arteta said in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca. "But that's the sport. Saying that, achieved with such a young team is great. That's clear," added the Spaniard.

"I started three years ago. I was Pep's assistant at City, we played Arsenal and I saw that this team had lost its soul. I knew there was an opportunity to be on the other bench. This club is so big that you have to make a connection between the team and the fans. It was hard to do, but now I'm happy," he said.

"We have a clear identity, unity and we are full of energy. That is the most important thing. From the first to the last we are all looking in the same direction," added Arteta. He also answered a question about whether he would take over at Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent 18 months on loan as a footballer.

"The only thing I can say is that I am happy at Arsenal. I feel loved, appreciated by the owners Stan and Josh (note - Kroenke) and I still have a lot of work to do at this club. I am grateful to be at Arsenal." , he finished. Arsenal kick off the new Premier League season against Nottingham Forest on August 12.