Regardless of title outcome, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal poised to contend for foreseeable future

Arsenal are tantalizingly close to the Premier League title, but regardless of the outcome at the weekend, the club, under Mikel Arteta's guidance, are on the right track.

Arsenal will enter the final matchday of the Premier League season needing to beat Everton and hope West Ham can get a positive result against Manchester City to claim the league title.

While City does feel inevitable in title races, the Gunners have pushed them all the way this season, and it just goes to show how good you have to be to compete with Pep Guardiola's juggernaut.

Since the turn of the year, Arsenal, in the league, has won 15, drawn once, and lost twice and is still second favorite to beat City to the title. That is the standard that Arteta is up against.

For City, they are unbeaten in league action since December 7, a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa. Since then, the Pep juggernaut has been taking all before it.

So keeping in mind that this is what Arteta and Arsenal are up against, regardless of what happens at the weekend, the club is on the right track.

It has been a steady improvement over the last three seasons, and should the Gunners fail to win the league this season, it will be back-to-back years of second place.

Against THIS City side, that is hardly a bad thing.

Arsenal has been one of the most consistent performers over the last few months, but the loss to Villa now looms large, particularly as it was at home. That stings.

But still, strides have been made and with another offseason to bring in reinforcements, say a partner for Declan Rice and a proper striker, the Gunners are poised to again go the distance with City.

It is important to remember that even if Arsenal doesn't hoist the league trophy aloft at the Emirates, while yes, it will be disappointing considering the year the club has had, the pieces are in place for the Gunners to be contenders for years.

And that is something that many thought was a dream just a couple of years ago.