Arsenal will only be able to consider their 2020-21 campaign a success if they can both win a trophy and secure a top four finish in the Premier League, according to former player Kevin Campbell.
The Gunners endured mixed fortunes in the domestic top flight last season but salvaged their disappointing eighth-place finish with an FA Cup triumph, ensuring silverware for Mikel Arteta's side and a place in the Europa League this term.
The former Manchester City assistant manager guided the north London outfit to a second successive honour with victory in the Community Shield against Liverpool last month and now, ahead of his first full season at the helm, expectations are high at the Emirates Stadium.
With a relatively low-spending transfer window to date however, the club have been outspent by most of their nearest rivals and, on the eve of the new Premier League campaign, still face questions over their top four credentials.
But ex-striker Campbell, an academy graduate who spent the first seven years of his senior career at Highbury between 1988 and 1995, feels that the club must bring in fresh faces in order to challenge at the top - and that Arteta needs the backing of the club in order to restore their fortunes.
"Arsenal need to finish in the top four and win a trophy for it to be considered a successful season," the 50-year-old stated in an interview with Genting Bet. "Obviously, they won the FA Cup last season but it was their worst finish ever in the Premier League.
"Arsenal might not have enough quality at the moment to finish in the top four but they are getting there. The transfer window doesn't close until October 5th and there needs to be some moving and shaking in order to get the squad up to speed.
"I think this transfer window is the most important one for Arsenal for the past five or 10 years – they need to allow Arteta [...] to move and shake.
"Arsenal have quality in their squad but over the course of a season, they’ll need to be able to contend with injuries, lots of form, etc. It is the consistency that they need and they don't have the squad for it yet."
Campbell further hailed Arteta's impact on the club, following his arrival in late 2019 in the wake of Unai Emery's exit, adding: "[He] inherited a squad that were disjointed, unmotivated and he is winning them around.
"You can see they have more belief in themselves now. There is a will to win now, which is what a lot of the Arsenal fans have been crying out for. Mikel Arteta is a man that knows what is required to succeed - he's been pretty straightforward with this. He requires the players to be focused and disciplined in what they do.
"I think he's getting there. If Arteta is backed properly, he can prove to be one of the best young managers around."
Arsenal kick off their new Premier League campaign on Saturday with a London derby when they make the trip to face newly-promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.