3 improvements Arsenal must make to finish in the Premier League top-four

The winter break was a much needed one at Arsenal. They had the weekend free to train without the pressure of playing a game. The Gunners took a trip to sunny Dubai in order to get away with the miserable English weather and who can blame them?

Mikel Arteta will have hoped that this splash of sunshine will have given his players the rejuvenation they needed in order to carry on with the rest of the season. While many players have shown significant improvements under the Spaniard, there are a few players who still need to pull up their socks.

The last time out in the Premier League, the Gunners were deprived of goals as they saw out a boring 0-0 draw against Burnley. As they come up against Newcastle this weekend, fans will hope for a greater attacking performance from their side. Both clubs are on 31 points from 25 games woth Arsenal in 10th and Newcastle in 12th owing to goal difference.

According to a report from Evening Standard, Mikel Arteta is refusing to rule out Arsenal's chances of reaching the top four come the end of the season. Arteta is a very honest manager, so this will come as good news for the fans since it means he has trust in himself and, of course, his players.

However, there is work to be done. That said, here are 3 improvements Arsenal need to make for a chance to be in top 4, come the end of Match Week 38.

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#1 No more settling for draws

A rsenal have not pushed hard enough to pick up all three points.

It's not rocket science. Arsenal need to be winning games if they want to be picking up the points. This has been the main problem since Arteta was introduced as manager; the side simply hasn't put in enough tenacity to turn the game on its head.

Pushing for a win against a side that is hard to break down requires energy, skill and, of course, communication. The full-backs need to press high as well as track back; and the midfielders need to put in a rigorous shift to help out their attacking teammates.

Again, this is all common sense, but it's what Arteta must implement in his training drills. Given his confidence, fans can rest assured that the basics have been covered.

#2 Giving minutes to players that deserve it

Eddie Nketiah is always hungry for goals.

There are certain players in this Arsenal XI who have been misfiring in a number of ways recently. The two main culprits are Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil, who are very good players on their day. That said, should Arteta decide to leave them on the bench for a week or two, it wouldn't be the end of the world and could actually serve them well.

This would give the opportunity for some of Arsenal's more deserving players to get some deserving minutes. Eddie Nketiah, for example, scored on his return to the club and hasn't been given a start since. Gabriel Martinelli is another player that has impressed and rightfully, he has been given a spot in the starting XI.

It is not to suggest that Arteta should make wholesale changes and that Özil and Lacazette should be stripped of any chances. But if Arteta feels that they haven't made improvements in training, they could maybe watch on from the bench. Equally, if they have been showing good signs in training, then they have every right to start.

It's time for Arteta to show his ruthless nature.

#3 Give the newbies a chance

Cedric Soares is yet to make his Arsenal debut.

Let's not forget, before the winter break, Arsenal had a very bright transfer window. They brought in Pablo Mari on loan from Flamengo and Cedric Soares on loan from Southampton. These two are positive defensive acquisitions that would certainly make an impact in the XI should they be given the chance.

Understandably, neither made their debut against Burnley since the transfers were fresh at the time. However, now that Arteta has been given time to assess the new signings, he may feel it would be best to give one or both of them a start against Newcastle United at the Emirates.

Mari is a brute defender who will stop at nothing to protect his goalkeeper and equally, Soares is a full-back who likes to put in a shift in the defensive third. These are areas of the game that Arteta may feel will benefit him against Newcastle. Especially with Soares, since Newcastle's full-backs like to press high.

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