Mikel Arteta says Arsenal need to score 100 goals a season to challenge at the top

Manager wants attacking flair to go with defensive strength

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  Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates after the win against Molde in the Europa League. Reuters

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  Arsenal's midfielder Joe Willock celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the Europa League match against Molde at the Emirates Stadium. AFP

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  Arsenal's Joe Willock celebrates scoring their fourth goal. Reuters

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  Arsenal's Joe Willock scores their fourth goal against Molde at the Emirates Stadium. Reuters

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  Arsenal's defender Kieran Tierney vies for the ball with Molde's Henry Wingo. AFP

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  Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe, left, scores during the Europa League match against Molde at the Emirates Stadium. AP

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  Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe celebrates scoring his side's third goal. PA

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  Arsenal's striker Eddie Nketiah runs in on goal as Molde's Martin Bjornbak, left, and Sheriff Sinyan close in. AFP

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  Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah, right, and Nicolas Pepe watch as the ball goes into the net. AFP

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  Molde's Kristoffer Haugen scores an own goal and the first for Arsenal under pressure from Joe Willock. Reuters

Arsenal must aim to score up to 100 goals a season to complement their solid defensive record if they are to compete with the Premier League elites, manager Mikel Arteta believes.

Arsenal have conceded seven goals, the least in the league this season, but Arteta's side have scored only nine times in seven games - the second-lowest among the top 10 teams.

Arteta, however, said the team proved their attacking potential after they thrashed Norwegian side Molde 4-1 in the Europa League on Thursday.

"To get that balance right is not easy," Arteta told a news conference ahead of Sunday's home game against Aston Villa.

"It is something that we have been working on in the last two weeks. You could see last night that we were much more fluent in attack. We scored the goals and we had more opportunities.

"To be a top team you have to score 90-100 goals (a season) if you want to be competing with the top guns. It is a challenge for us and an area we have to improve and get better."

Arteta said he expects Villa to be eager for a win at the Emirates Stadium this weekend after successive defeats by Leeds United and Southampton and that Arsenal will be wary of the threat possessed by their in-form captain Jack Grealish.

"He (Grealish) is a player who can make a difference at any moment in the game," the 38-year-old manager said.

"He has this personality against any opponent, at any ground, to take the ball in any area of the pitch and he can make the difference, so we have to look after him."