Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are prepared to dip into the transfer market in January if his squad remains as “exposed” as in recent weeks.

The Gunners have fared better than some of their Premier League rivals in terms of injuries but are without five players for Thursday’s London derby at home to West Ham.

Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Fabio Vieira and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all still sidelined while Kai Havertz is banned having collected five yellow cards.

Arsenal invested over £200million on new recruits in the summer, including the £105million club-record signing of Declan Rice from the Hammers.

The England midfielder was joined at the Emirates Stadium by Havertz and Timber as Arsenal spent big having missed out on the title despite being top for 248 days last season.

With Arteta unsure of return dates for his injured quartet and the festive fixture schedule testing any squad in the division – the Spaniard confirmed Arsenal do have plans should they feel the need to act in January.

“At the moment, it is very difficult. We are really short,” he said.

“We have positions that we have been very exposed for the last six weeks and hopefully we are going to get players back. In what condition and when?

“That’s a question mark and as well because we have some long-term injuries still for certain players that give us a lot of versatility and that’s an issue.

“We have certain targets, ideas if things happen. As well, we don’t know how the squad is going to look in two weeks’ time and you have to be always prepared for that.

“But it is a very, very tricky market that shifts very quickly and it is quite unpredictable as well – and you have to be prepared. We will be prepared and we will try to make the right calls.

“If there is something that we can (do to) improve the squad and that needs appear, and we cannot fulfil it with players here, we are always going to be open to do that because we want to be stronger.”

Mikel Arteta made a point of praising the officials and VAR as 10-man Arsenal beat Burnley to move level with Premier League leaders Manchester City,

Fabio Vieira was sent off late on for a high challenge on Josh Brownhill, who had earlier cancelled out a brave Leandro Trossard opener.

But Arsenal had already secured the points by the time Vieira was dismissed, William Saliba heading them back in front before Oleksandr Zinchenko secured the points with an acrobatic volley.

Arteta could yet face a Football Association charge after he criticised the officials during a 1-0 loss at Newcastle last week, having been asked to provide his observations having called the winning goal “embarrassing” and a “disgrace.

Here, though, he was keen to play to the gallery and made sure he hammered home his praise of the referees.

“With the red card… yes, VAR was right, he said.

“The referee was right. Really good decision, really positive from Mikel to speak about that! Good decision.”

He later added to talkSPORT: “Please ask me about VAR because today it was good.

“I hope that I’m on TV saying the referees are so good and I’m completely with them and being very constructive.”

Trossard was the difference-maker for the Gunners, the Belgium international once again starting as the central striker and breaking the deadlock with a close-range finish that saw him clatter into Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford and the post.

He recovered to lay on the corner from which Saliba scored and it was another Trossard set-piece that led to Zinchenko’s fine scissor-kick.

“I think he connects everybody. He’s so intelligent,” Arteta said of Trossard.

“I think he moves in ways that attracts people that generates spaces and options for people.

“Today he did that really good because it was so difficult and the spaces were so small to attack. He gave us a lot of threat and possibilities to connect and find spaces for us.

“He put your body on the line if it’s necessary, and that was it. It’s the 1,000th goal at the Emirates – a beautiful number.

“I’m very happy with him. I think every time you ask him to play whether it’s wide or as a nine, it flows and he has a real threat. So I’m really happy with him.”

Burnley could end the weekend bottom of the table after a 10th defeat in 12 league games since their return to the top flight.

But manager Vincent Kompany believes the Clarets continue to show resilience in their battle against the drop.

“We were solid first half. To concede the way we conceded is avoidable. It’s football. Good teams are there for a reason,” he said.

“Our team is as hard working as you like and resilient as you like. The club is filled with good, hard-working people. In the games we’re not expecting to have their level but we want to give ourselves a chance. This team wants to embrace this challenge.”

Mikel Arteta did not hide his frustration with Arsenal's performance in Thursday's 2-2 draw with Sporting CP, but Fabio Vieira's display brought him a degree of pleasure.

The Gunners took the lead in the first half when William Saliba headed in from Vieira's corner, only for their hosts to level in similar circumstances just past the half-hour mark at the Jose Alvalade.

Paulinho put Sporting in front after the break with a tap-in, but Hidemasa Morita's own goal seven minutes later ultimately secured Arsenal a draw to take back to Emirates Stadium for the return leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.

The draw puts Arsenal – who have only lost at home twice all season – in a decent position ahead of the second leg, but Arteta feels they can do better, even considering the somewhat unfamiliar look to his starting XI.

"We are conceding too many simple goals," he told reporters.

"We spoke about the importance of boxes, especially in a competition where you're in or out. [On Thursday], we didn't defend that well enough, and we have to be better at threatening the opponents as well.

"But of course, you have an opponent there. We've played some really emotional games recently.

"We made a lot of changes and sometimes that takes time to get that cohesion, and you could feel it in the first 15 minutes that it needed some time to adapt and click.

"If we don't expose them, though, that's never going to happen."

He added: "When you concede two poor goals like we did away from home in Europe, it's very difficult to get a positive result.

"The game had different phases because we gave too many simple balls away in our own half and gave them the capacity to [exploit] transition moments, which they are good at.

"In other moments we had total control of the game and we lost a little bit of threat, especially with the four players we are missing in our frontline.

"There were some positives because we showed a lot of resilience to get back into the game, but we need to defend our box much better and be better on Sunday."

Vieira's performance was a surely one of those positives.

The Portugal international was given only his 13th start of the season, but his delivery for Saliba's opener was his sixth assist already – only Bukayo Saka (nine) has more for the Gunners this term, and he has played almost 1,600 minutes more than Vieira.

Arteta clearly values the former Porto midfielder.

"I'm really happy with him," he added. "I think he deserves more minutes than he's had, especially in the last two months.

"Obviously he had a difficult start because he was injured for two months after a surgery, and wasn't at the level that we want.

"You saw tonight he was probably our most dangerous player. He was always making things happen. He's a player that I absolutely love."

Mikel Arteta allayed concerns over an injury sustained by Bukayo Saka and expects more decisive displays from Fabio Vieira after Arsenal beat Oxford United 3-0 in the FA Cup.

Saka was withdrawn in the second half of a victory at the Kassam Stadium on Monday that set up a fourth-round tie at Manchester City.

Arsenal face fierce rivals Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday and the sight of Saka limping off was a concern for the leaders.

But Gunners manager Arteta revealed the England winger is "fine" ahead of the short trip to do battle with Spurs this weekend.

Arsenal outclassed League One side Oxford following a lacklustre first-half display, Mohamed Elneny opening the scoring before the in-form Eddie Nketiah helped himself to a clinical quickfire double.

Vieira came into the starting line-up as one of seven changes made by Arteta and whipped in a brilliant free-kick for Elneny to break the deadlock with a header, then set up Nketiah for the second goal.

The midfielder has endured a frustrating start to his Gunners career due to injury, but Arteta is in no doubt he will prove to be a shrewd signing.

Arteta told ITV Sport: "He has the quality. He is a really creative player, and he can decide games in the final third. He made a difference."

Nketiah has scored four goals in as many games since the World Cup in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus, taking his tally for the season to seven.

Arteta said of the striker's form: "It is what we want from every player. I am delighted. You have to be scoring goals, and he is doing it."

He added: "We have only one [striker]. And to cope for that many months until Gabby's back is not easy. We have to make the most out of the players we've got."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta felt his team "lacked consistency and domination" despite cruising to a 3-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt to move top of their Europa League group.

Eddie Nketiah and Rob Holding struck in the first half before Fabio Vieira added a late finish to end a run of three consecutive home games in European competition without victory for Arsenal.

The Gunners are now two points clear of second-placed PSV at the top of Group A, while also leading the Premier League after a brilliant start which has seen them win nine out of their first 10 games in all competitions for just the third time in club history.

However, Arteta had mixed feelings over his team's performance against Bodo, telling BT Sport: "I'm really happy with the win, six points and a clean sheet.

"But we lacked connection between the players, we lacked consistency and domination through the game.

"There were eight changes and a lot of players that haven't played a lot of minutes, and you could feel that, the timing was missing.

"In the final third we looked very dangerous, the goals we scored were good goals."

Bodo started the second half brightly and Arteta reacted by making a number of substitutions, bringing on the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, the latter of whom provided a brilliant assist for Vieira.

Arteta explained the alterations were necessary due to some of the starters' fitness, saying: "A few players, you could see they had a different intensity, not enough exposure in terms of minutes, so we had to make changes."

Fabio Vieira marked his first Premier League start with a fine goal in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday but boss Mikel Arteta was more impressed with how he did the "ugly" things in the game.

William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus put the Gunners into a 2-0 half-time lead, before Vieira, who joined from Porto in June, rifled home from 25 yards to put the seal on a comprehensive victory that lifted the Gunners back to the top of the Premier League table.  

Arteta believes the attacking midfielder role that Vieira played is where he is best suited, yet hopes the 22-year-old will continue to undertake the dirty work that is often required to win games. 

"I think he's having a good progression," Arteta said. "Obviously he missed the whole of pre-season due to injury, which was really unlucky. But we know his talent, the reasons why we signed him and what he can bring to the team.

"To do it against Brentford, at this ground, on his debut, is a different story. He showed again his character and his qualities."

Asked what the 22-year-old's best position is, Arteta responded: "That's something that still needs to be decided. In those two attacking midfield positions, for sure. He's played off the side as well, so it's more about the relations he has in the unit and on his side, and where he is more comfortable. But the position he played today fits him really well.

"He's a creative player. He needs to play with his gut feeling and his instinct. That's what he needs to do and we need to create as many scenarios for him as possible to put his talent to the service of the team.

"What I like as well is the way he competes, and the way he went about the ugly part of the game really impressed me."

Arsenal have won more Premier League games than any other team so far this season (six). It is just the third time they have won as many as six of their first seven games of a Premier League campaign – previously doing so in 2004-05 and 2007-08 under Arsene Wenger (both six).

Central to that success has been captain Granit Xhaka, who made the joint-highest number of key passes against Brentford from a deep-lying midfield position (three, alongside Bukayo Saka).

Arteta was fulsome in his praise of the Switzerland international, saying: "His consistency, and how he goes about that every day is impressive.

"He has a willingness always to stay humble, to look forward and try to get better and when you do that, normally good things happen.

"I think he feels now that love and respect both ways [with the fans]. You see our supporters, the way they were singing to him as well, emotionally that makes him try to give even more.

"I'm really pleased for him because in my opinion he really deserves it."

Arsenal returned to the Premier League summit with a dominant 3-0 victory at Brentford, where Fabio Vieira scored on his first league start on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's side saw their winning start ended by defeat at Manchester United in their previous league match, but they responded in emphatic fashion to move a point clear of Manchester City and Tottenham.

First-half goals from William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus put Arsenal in control, before Vieira – in for the injured Martin Odegaard – added a brilliant third after the interval.

With the points safe, Ethan Nwaneri, aged just 15 years and 181 days, became the youngest player in Premier League history as he appeared from the Arsenal bench for the closing stages.

Gabriel Martinelli slipped to spurn a glorious chance inside two minutes, but Arsenal soon punished Brentford for a timid start with two goals in quick succession.

Saliba met Bukayo Saka's corner with a near-post glance, which bounced off David Raya's right post and over the line before the goalkeeper could react, and then Jesus nodded in from Granit Xhaka's left-wing cross.

Saka and Kieran Tierney both fired off target from presentable opportunities, while Bryan Mbuemo flicked wide at the other end as Arsenal dominated the first half.

Vieira marked his full debut by whipping past Raya and in off the post from outside the area four minutes after the break.

Ivan Toney volleyed just over from an inventive free-kick routine, before Raya expertly denied a fizzing Jesus drive and a curling Saka effort as Brentford rarely threatened an unlikely comeback.

What does it mean? Arsenal banish Brentford demons

Arsenal were off the pace in their Premier League opener last season, losing 2-0 to newly promoted Brentford, but they banished those demons on Sunday.

The Bees had lost just one of their previous 17 top-flight London derbies at home yet proved no match for an in-form Arsenal, who picked up their sixth win in seven league games.

While Tottenham and Liverpool may prove tougher tasks in their next two league matches, Arsenal laid down another marker despite injury problems for the absent Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Super Saka

Saka continued his fine form for Arsenal as he laid on two assists to move to 37 goal involvements in the Premier League for the Gunners (18 goals, 19 assists).

That moved him clear of Nicolas Anelka (35) for the most Arsenal goal contributions in the competition while aged 21 or under, with Cesc Fabregas (63) the only player to tally more.

Timid Toney

Toney was handed a maiden England call-up this week after scoring five and assisting two more in just six league games – only Erling Haaland (12) has managed more goal involvements in the Premier League.

But the Brentford striker failed to leave his mark in this seventh match, not registering a single shot on target and completing only eight passes in a quiet showing against Saliba and Gabriel.

What's next?

Arsenal have the upcoming international break to prepare for the visit of Tottenham on October 1, when Brentford visit Bournemouth.

Arsenal named 15-year-old Ethan Nwaneri on the bench for their clash with Brentford, where Fabio Vieira will make his first Premier League start due to Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko's absences.

Nwaneri could become the youngest player in Premier League history – surpassing Harvey Elliot's top-flight debut for Fulham, aged just 16 years and 30 days – should he be brought on by Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners were without captain Odegaard after he sustained an injury in training, with Vieira taking his place behind Gabriel Jesus to make his first league start since arriving from Porto in June.

Zinchenko was another absentee with Kieran Tierney in the starting XI at left-back, while Thomas Partey returned from a thigh injury to replace Albert Sambi Lokonga at the base of midfield.

"They are both injured and not available for the game. I don't know [the timescale]," Arteta told Sky Sports before kick-off when asked about Zinchenko and Odegaard. 

"We have the international break right now, so that's going to give us a break. It's two different things, but we don't know yet."

Ben White retained his starting position at right-back despite reports of injury concerns, with Takehiro Tomiyasu on the bench.

Lino Sousa and Reuell Walters were also included in Arteta's youthful matchday squad, and the Arsenal coach acknowledged injury problems have allowed the youngsters a chance to feature.

"We have the opportunity now to bring young players. We had some injuries in the last few weeks, and we are pretty short," the Spaniard added. "But opportunities come when other issues arise."

Arsenal named 15-year-old Ethan Nwaneri on the bench for their clash with Brentford, where Fabio Vieira will make his first Premier League start due to Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko's absences.

Nwaneri could become the youngest player in Premier League history – surpassing Harvey Elliot's top-flight debut for Fulham, aged just 16 years and 30 days – should he be brought on by Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners were without captain Odegaard after he sustained an injury in training, with Vieira taking his place behind Gabriel Jesus to make his first league start since arriving from Porto in June.

Zinchenko was another absentee with Kieran Tierney in the starting XI at left-back, while Thomas Partey returned from a thigh injury to replace Albert Sambi Lokonga at the base of midfield.

"They are both injured and not available for the game. I don't know [the timescale]," Arteta told Sky Sports before kick-off when asked about Zinchenko and Odegaard. 

"We have the international break right now, so that's going to give us a break. It's two different things, but we don't know yet."

Ben White retained his starting position at right-back despite reports of injury concerns, with Takehiro Tomiyasu on the bench.

Lino Sousa and Reuell Walters were also included in Arteta's youthful matchday squad, and the Arsenal coach acknowledged injury problems have allowed the youngsters a chance to feature.

"We have the opportunity now to bring young players. We had some injuries in the last few weeks, and we are pretty short," the Spaniard added. "But opportunities come when other issues arise."

Just 11 weeks have passed since Manchester City lifted the Premier League title to bring down the curtain on the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, yet plenty has changed ahead of the start of the new season.

City have undergone a facelift of sorts, with Erling Haaland their marquee arrival of the window, while last term's runners-up Liverpool have replaced the ever-reliable Sadio Mane with Darwin Nunez in attack.

The chasing pack have also been busy as they desperately attempt to keep pace with City and Liverpool, but the exciting signings of the close season to date have not been solely reserved by those competing in the upper echelons.

With the 2022-23 season getting underway on Friday, Stats Perform picks out 10 players we are most looking forward to seeing in action in the Premier League for the very first time.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Arguably the highest-profile signing of the transfer window, Haaland arrives at City with a reputation of being one of Europe's most ruthless goalscorers at the age of just 22.

Haaland was prolific during his short time at Salzburg and scored 86 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund.

That is a tally bettered by only Robert Lewandowski (122) and Kylian Mbappe (89) across the same period, both of whom played 19 games more.

Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Liverpool will also have a new frontman this campaign after spending an initial £64million (€75m) to bring in Nunez from Benfica.

While not a direct like-for-like replacement for Mane, the Uruguay international will have to both score goals on a regular basis and also help to get the best out of his fellow attackers, such as Mohamed Salah. 

The figures suggest Nunez should be well up to the task, with his conversion rate of 27.2 per cent being the highest of all players with 55 or more non-penalty shots in Europe's top-six leagues last season.

Ivan Perisic (Tottenham)

Tottenham were successful in getting the majority of their transfer business out the way early on, giving Antonio Conte a chance to integrate the likes of Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Richarlison and Yves Bissouma into his squad.

Each of those will add something different, but it is Perisic who is the most intriguing signing of the lot. Regularly linked with a switch to the Premier League, the former Dortmund, Inter and Bayern winger finally gets a chance to test himself in England's top flight. 

Among many other qualities, Perisic created the most chances following ball carries – defined as any instance when a player moves five-or-more metres with the ball – of any player in Serie A in 2021-22 (26), showing he can still be a menace out wide even at the age of 33.

Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)

New head coach Erik ten Hag has largely stuck to what he knows when it comes to Manchester United's transfer activity in his first window in charge. Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Martinez have all either worked under Ten Hag or have strong connections with the Eredivisie.

Eriksen is already an established name in English football, whereas Malacia and Martinez are gearing up for their first taste of the Premier League. While Malacia is expected to be used as a squad player, Martinez will surely be a regular in the heart of defence if his £48m (€57m) price tag is anything to go by.

Despite concerns being raised over his lack of height, Martinez boasted an aerial duel success rate of 70.2 per cent in the Eredivisie last season, which was fourth-best return of any player.

Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea)

Another perennially linked Premier League player, Koulibaly has joined Chelsea after eight years as a Napoli player. Following the departures of centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger after the expiration of their contracts, Koulibaly will have to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge.

If his time with Napoli is anything to go by, Chelsea will have a solid and reliable player in the heart of their defence for the next few years. Across his time in Naples, no defender in Serie A won more tackles (344) or made more successful passes (14,528) than the Senegal international.

Fabio Vieira (Arsenal)

Arsenal mean serious business ahead of Mikel Arteta's third full season in charge. The Spaniard has used his Man City links to recruit Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, having already added Vieira to the squad earlier in the window.

Central midfield was not exactly an area Arsenal were light, yet Arteta felt the need to strengthen and in Vieira he has a player with experience of winning a couple of league titles with Porto prior to turning 22.

In contrast to legendary Arsenal namesake Patrick, the Portugal Under-21 international is more accustomed to playing high up the field and recorded the most assists (14) of any Porto player in the league last season, while also chipping in with six goals of his own. 

Tyler Adams (Leeds United)

Leeds escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season – now they must do so again without their most important player following Kalvin Phillips' move to Man City. 

Plenty of eyes will be on Adams in the holding midfield position, the United States international having arrived at Elland Road on the back of three years with New York Red Bulls, followed by three more years with sister club RB Leipzig.

Adams recovered possession an average of 5.69 times per 90 minutes across his 24 Bundesliga appearances last season, which is nearly half the number Phillips (10.2) managed in the Premier League – the best return of any player with 900+ minutes in the competition.

Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa)

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has quietly gone about his transfer business ahead of his first full season in Premier League management. The signing of Kamara, a defensive midfielder by trade, went somewhat under the radar given it was announced just a day after the previous season finished.

Kamara was a big part of Marseille's strong 2021-22 campaign, which saw them finish second in Ligue 1 and reach the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Of midfielders in the French top division in last season, only Johan Gastien and Jordan Ferri made more than Kamara's 2,383 passes, while of those who made over 1,000 passes, only five players had better accuracy than his 90.68 per cent.

Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham)

It says an awful lot about the work carried out by David Moyes at West Ham over the past two seasons that finishing seventh last time out – a drop from sixth the year before – was considered a disappointment.

If Moyes' men are to once again challenge on multiple fronts this coming season, bringing in a player who knows how to find the net was always going to be imperative. In Scamacca, West Ham appear to have exactly that.

The Italy international scored 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances for mid-table Sassuolo last season and converted 70.59 per cent of his big chances, a figure only bettered by Gianluca Caprari (83.33) and Dusan Vlahovic (73.91) among players to hit double figures.

Aaron Hickey (Brentford)

Brentford have broken their transfer record multiple times this window to help build on an impressive first ever campaign in the Premier League. Christian Eriksen may have departed, but other areas have been strengthened, including in defence.

The £14m (€16.6m) signing of Hickey from Bologna arguably strengthens Brentford in both full-back departments, given the Scotland international's versatility with both feet. 

He also has an eye for goal, having netted five times in the Italian top flight and assisted another last season. Among Serie A defenders in the 2021-22 season, only Genoa's Domenico Criscito (six) and Nahuel Molina (seven) of Udinese scored more goals.

Gabriel Jesus can help Arsenal discover a "winning mentality" after joining from Premier League champions Manchester City, according to his new Gunners team-mate Emile Smith Rowe.

Brazil striker Jesus left Pep Guardiola's team for Arsenal in a deal worth around £45million after starting just 28 games in all competitions last season, scoring 13 goals.

Only Riyad Mahrez (24), Kevin De Bruyne (19), Raheem Sterling (17) and Phil Foden (14) outscored Jesus for City last term despite his limited playing time, as Guardiola's men successfully defended their title by a single point ahead of Liverpool.

Meanwhile, only Lionel Messi (291), Sterling (186), De Bruyne (175) and Sergio Aguero (151) can better Jesus' tally of 136 goal contributions under Guardiola's management, with the forward winning 10 pieces of silverware in his time with City.

Despite Jesus only turning 25 in April, Smith Rowe believes his experience of featuring for an elite side will benefit the Gunners.

"He's been fantastic since he came in, it feels like he's been here for a couple of years," he told the Evening Standard. 

"Everyone knows how good he is, and we can't wait to get started with him. Man City are a big club and they've won a lot recently. 

"It would be good if he could bring that [winning] mentality and help us out."

Jesus netted in Arsenal's friendly win over Everton last time out, taking him to three goals in two pre-season appearances for his new side.

But the 25-year-old is not the only signing made by Mikel Arteta during the transfer window, with Porto's 22-year-old midfielder Fabio Vieira joining for an initial fee of £30million (€35m).

And Smith Rowe was keen to emphasise Vieira's similarity to another Portuguese midfielder, namely City's Bernardo Silva, as he hailed his creative talents.

"He's very similar [to Silva]," Smith Rowe said of Vieira. "He's a very good passer of the ball, his left foot is very good, and he likes to create goals and score them himself.

"I've already played against him at international level, so I can't speak highly enough of him, and the fans should be really excited. At the Euro Under-21s, they [Portugal] beat us 2-0 and he was unbelievable in that game."

Arsenal will feature in the Europa League after a late-season collapse saw rivals Tottenham beat them to a top-four Premier League finish last time out, and Smith Rowe says the Gunners are desperate to atone for that disappointment in the 2022-23 campaign.

"It's definitely tough looking back on it, it was in our hands. The Spurs game [a 3-0 defeat in May]… it was tough. It wasn't a nice atmosphere. All the boys were down," he recalled.

"The manager picked us up and we had another chance after that, but it didn't go our way in the end. 

"Going forward, we have just got to stick together as a team. We are a young team, we are still getting there. It's fuel for us going forward and we can't wait to start the season.

"It will be a good season, a tough season. The big clubs are buying players and every season is hard, but we are confident. 

"It's been a long time since we've been in the Champions League. We need to get back in it, not just for us but for the fans as well."

Fabio Vieira is thrilled to be joining "one of the biggest clubs in the world" after completing his move from Porto to Arsenal. 

The 22-year-old midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the Gunners, who will pay Porto a reported £30million (€35m) fee with a further £4.2m (€5m) in add-ons.

With Arsenal falling just two points short of their first top-four Premier League finish since the 2015-16 season last term, losing out to local rivals Tottenham after losing two of their final three games of the campaign, boss Mikel Arteta had targeted midfield reinforcements.

Vieira, who recorded more assists (14) than any other Porto player in the 2021-22 Primeira Liga campaign, is the man selected by Arsenal to provide extra creativity, and he says the Gunners' rich history attracted him to North London. 

"I'm thrilled, of course. This is an important step forward in my career," he told the club's website. "Arsenal is a huge and historic club, so I'm delighted to be here at my new home.

"Arsenal is a historic English club. It's one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone knows that Arsenal are a fantastic team. 

"That was one of the main factors behind me choosing Arsenal. I really like the way the team plays, and I can't wait to get started.

"I know some very famous players have played here. Some big stars, global legends of the game, such as [Dennis] Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, [Santi] Cazorla and [Cesc] Fabregas. I remember them well. They were players who had so much presence on the pitch.

"I feel it's the right move in my career. I think it'll be really good for me, and I have no regrets about it. I'm thrilled to be here."

Arsenal scored at least eight goals fewer than each of the four Premier League sides to achieve Champions League qualification last term, and the addition of Vieira – who scored six league goals and ranked joint-fifth among Porto players for chances created (34) last season, will provide Arteta will another creative fulcrum.

Vieira says his strengths are in the final third of the pitch, as he compared his style to that of current Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard.

"I'm an attacking player who looks to find space between the lines to be able to finish off moves either with assists or by scoring goals," he added. "I think those are the main attributes that Arsenal fans can expect from me. I'll always give my all for the team.

"My strengths are my passing and shooting ability. I think those are my main strengths. As for what I need to work on, I'd say the physical side of my game.

"Arsenal have top players and I'm now here to help the team reach its goals. I'm a fan of Bukayo Saka and [Emile] Smith Rowe, I really like the way they play. Odegaard is quite similar to me."

Vieira could make his Arsenal debut when the Gunners play the first fixture of the 2022-23 Premier League season on August 5, away at Crystal Palace.

Arsenal have completed the signing of Fabio Vieira from Porto for a £30million fee (€35m) with £4.2m (€5m) in add-ons.

Mikel Arteta has been linked to numerous players in the transfer market as Arsenal look to strengthen after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Youri Tielemans and Vitinha were among the names suggested to bolster the midfield of Arsenal, who already have Granit Xhaka, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny to call upon.

Arsenal have instead opted to bring in Vitinha's Porto team-mate Vieira on a long-term deal, the club announced on Tuesday.

"I am very excited that we have identified and signed such a special talent," said Arteta.

"Fabio is a very creative player that will bring high quality and versatility to our attacking play.

"We welcome Fabio and his family to our club and are looking forward to starting work with him ahead of the new season."

Vieira will offer Arteta another creative outlet going forward, the 22-year-old recording the most assists (14) among Porto players in the 2021-22 Primeira Liga campaign.

The midfielder also scored six league goals and ranked joint-fifth for chances created (34), while playing 27 times.

Arteta will hope Vieira can provide capable support to the likes of Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah as Arsenal look to improve on their fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Victor Osimhen, Noa Lang and Gabriel Jesus have all been linked to fill the void left up top by the departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

And Arsenal technical director Edu, who was thrilled with the move, suggested there was more to come in the transfer market.

"We are so pleased to have completed the signing of Fabio from FC Porto," he said.

"Fabio is a player with special qualities who is comfortable with the ball in the final third of the pitch.

"We are all looking forward to working with him and enjoying his future contribution to Arsenal. We will now continue to work hard and are looking forward to finishing this transfer window as strongly possible."

Vieira has been handed the number 21 shirt.

Arsenal have secured a "dream for any manager" in agreeing a deal with Porto for Fabio Vieira.

That is the message from former Porto youth coach Manuel Tulipa, who was speaking to BBC Sport after the Primeira Liga side confirmed that terms for the transfer had been agreed.

Mikel Arteta's side will pay £30million (€35m) up front with £4.2m (€5m) in add-ons, with the move subject to Vieira agreeing personal terms with the Premier League side.

Arsenal will add another creative outlet to their ranks, which already boasts Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Emile Smith Rowe.

Vieira provided the most assists (14) among Porto players in the 2021-22 Primeira Liga campaign and scored six league goals.

The 22-year-old also ranked joint-fifth for chances created (34), while playing 27 times, and Tulipa hailed the transfer as a good deal for all parties.

"Players like Fabio are worth a lot of money, so if you can grab them before they fully break out, why not? That's smart business," he said.

"He's that kind of creative midfielder who comes with the solution when you're struggling during a game. He can see what's going on around him and anticipate what will happen.

"That's the dream for any manager and the sort of footballer that clubs are always after.

"He has all the tools – he can dribble, combine, slow down the tempo, break into the box, score. Players like this have to be close to goal.

"One thing he needed to improve, however, were his actions without the ball, but he did so over the past months.

"He has grown into a more collective athlete under [Porto coach Sergio] Conceicao and found the right balance between the different moments of the game."

Porto have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Arsenal over the sale of Fabio Vieira.

Vieira arrived in London for a medical on Friday and Porto have subsequently announced a transfer deal has been agreed with the Gunners.

The Portuguese Primeira Liga side confirmed in a brief statement that the transfer had been agreed, with Arsenal paying £30million (€35m) up front with £4.2m (€5m) in add-ons.

Arsenal appeared to be interested in Youri Tielemans and Porto star Vitinha before his team-mate Vieira emerged as a top midfield target for manager Mikel Arteta.

Porto added that while a deal was in place, the move is subject to Vieira agreeing personal terms with the Premier League side.

"It is further informed that the final agreement is still being finalised and is awaiting its completion in the coming days," the statement added.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a productive 2021-22 Primeira Liga season, scoring six times and leading his side with 14 assists.