Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey insists there's much to be excited about next season despite missing Champions League qualification.

Partey believes Arsenal had a “great season" and highlighted the 2-1 home loss to Manchester City as an indication of the “level" Mikel Arteta's team can reach.

While the campaign ended on a sour note, Arteta's young side showed great signs of progress, with the City game in particular highlighting their improvement.

“For me winning is the most important," Partey told Joy Sports.

“It's important to play well and have dominance in the game but in the end, if you don't win, you don't feel happy personally. They were the best team at that moment and we were able to play them at that level. In that end, we had a great season, short in the end but we had a great season."