Gabriel Jesus says Arsenal must raise their levels to remain on top of their Premier League title charge after dropping points for the second game in a row.

The Gunners blew a 2-0 lead against West Ham on Sunday, slipping to a 2-2 draw that has seen their gap at the summit shrink to just four points - the second game in a row a two-goal advantage was let slip.

Jesus and Martin Odegaard had put the visitors in cruise control at London Stadium inside 10 minutes, before Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen clawed back equilibrium.

With Manchester City, who have a game in hand, hot on their heels, Jesus has called upon his team-mates to ensure their standards do not slip again this term.

"Once again, the three points were in our hands," he told the club's website. "Obviously, the game is 90 minutes. It's not 20, [or] in this case 30 minutes.

"As a team, we have to raise the level and come back to our principles. We know our strength, we know what we can do.

"Where we want to attack the opponent, in the first 10 to 20 minutes we did so good. After that we dropped our level and that obviously cannot happen if you want to fight for the title.

"As a team, it's no time to blame [ourselves]. We have to raise the level again, come back to our principles and win the games. That's the only way we can fight for the title again."

Arsenal face City a week on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium, in what is shaping up to be the pivotal encounter in their title fight.

Before then though, they will hope to return to winning ways against rock-bottom Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

Roberto Firmino's late header stunned Arsenal as Liverpool stormed back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 Premier League draw at Anfield.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus put the Gunners in command, but Mohamed Salah reduced the deficit late in the first half.

Salah missed a penalty early in the second half, but Firmino came off the bench to rock Arsenal with an equaliser in the 87th minute of a thriller on Merseyside.

Aaron Ramsdale then produced two brilliant saves in injury time as the Gunners held on for a draw that leaves them six points clear of defending champions Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

Following the two-week international break and then a double gameweek, the Premier League fixture schedule returns to normal this weekend with 10 fixtures across two days.

That is not to say there are not still some huge selection decisions to make when it comes to picking your fantasy side in what is now very much the business end of the campaign.

Some players are quite simply undroppable at this stage, while others look good value for those willing to take a gamble and make up some points.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out four players – one for each position – that look good value to help your side this weekend.

Emi Martinez (Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest)

Villa conceded against Leicester City last time out, but they have kept six Premier League clean sheets in 2023, with that tally bettered only by – surprisingly – Liverpool (seven).

Martinez has been in goal for five of those games, the Argentina international bringing the form he showed at the World Cup with him back to Villa Park.

He has made 38 saves this calendar year and has prevented 2.02 goals – only three goalkeepers have fared better – and is up against a low-scoring Forest side this weekend.

Timothy Castagne (Leicester City v Bournemouth)

Leicester are enduring a poor campaign and have struggled badly to keep clean sheets, doing so just six times all season in the Premier League.

Right-back Castagne has masked defensive inadequacies with some solid attacking play, however, with only three other defenders being involved in more goals this term (four).

In fact, of the defenders to have created at least 15 chances, only Trent Alexander-Arnold (33 per cent) has a higher proportion that are big chances than Castagne (31 per cent).

Kaoru Mitoma (Tottenham v Brighton and Hove Albion)

Brighton attacker Mitoma is not quite the unknown figure he was a few months back, with more and more flocking to put him in their team as the weeks go by.

The Japan international is the first Brighton player to register a goal involvement in five successive Premier League games, with that the longest ongoing run in the competition.

All 11 of his goal involvements this season have come since his first start on October 29 – only four midfielders have been involved in more during that period.

Gabriel Jesus (Liverpool v Arsenal)

Having slowly built up his fitness since returning from a three-month lay-off, Jesus marked his first start in the win over Leeds United with two goals.

The Brazil international, whose most recent start at club level prior to that was against Wolves in November, now has seven goals and five assists in 17 league games this term.

Jesus tends to perform well against next opponents Liverpool, too, as only against three other sides has he been directly involved in more goals than he has versus the Reds (six).

Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's focus as the Premier League leaders restored their eight-point advantage with victory over Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners' lead at the summit was reduced to five points following Manchester City's 4-1 win over Liverpool earlier on Saturday, but Arteta's side matched that result against Leeds to pull clear once more.

Gabriel Jesus scored twice while Ben White and Granit Xhaka were also target for the hosts, who were without Bukayo Saka from the start for the first time in the Premier League this season.

Arteta, who revealed the England forward was benched having suffered with illness on Friday, was delighted with the way his players remained concentrated on the task in hand.

"We had a few things going on with some individuals. It has been a concerning few days because we could not decide until this morning if some players would be available and the line-up," he told BBC.

"After an international break, you do not know if they are in the frame of mind to come back and do the things necessary to win this league. I am really happy with the performance.

"We were aware [of Man City's result] as it is a huge game, and we wanted to watch parts of it. But when we got here, it was just to focus on us and what we can do as a team. They are used to it. We can only control what we can do."

The Gunners boss also praised Jesus, who netted a brace on his first start since returning from injury.

"I am so happy for him after all the work from him and the staff throughout the last five months," Arteta said. "Today, he got rewarded for that. He brings that quality and unpredictability to the squad."

"Everyone is playing so well, it is easy to come back," Jesus added. "The most important thing is that everyone that has come in has played good.

"I want to score every game, but sometimes it can't happen. I am more happy with the three points than the goals. 

"We said before the game not to look at goal difference and focus on the points. But sometimes, you have to try and score more and more, as it might matter at the end of the season."

White also paid tribute to Arsenal for not getting distracted by the Man City scoreline from earlier in the day.

"There's a lot of noise going on outside," the defender told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I don't really know what's right or wrong, I have never been in this position [competing in a title race] before. So, we are just keeping quiet, heads down and working hard."

William Saliba has been ruled out of Arsenal's Premier League meeting with Leeds United with a back injury, but Mikel Arteta is hopeful of having Thomas Partey available.

France international Saliba limped off during Arsenal's Europa League clash with Sporting CP on March 16 and sat out the 4-1 league win over Crystal Palace three days later.

The 22-year-old, who has started 32 of Arsenal's 39 games this season, subsequently pulled out of France's squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers during the international break.

Arteta had been hopeful Saliba would be available in time for the Gunners' return to action on Saturday, but the centre-back is still not ready.

"He is progressing but still has some discomfort in his back," Arteta said at Friday's pre-match press conference. "He's not going to be fit for this game. 

"We're doing everything to get him back feeling better, but he is not ready yet."

There have been suggestions Arsenal could be without Saliba for the majority of their remaining 10 league games, but Arteta does not see that being the case.

"We're very hopeful [he will return soon] and he is as well," Arteta said. "Back injuries are tricky in terms of how they evolve with the load that you put in certain areas. 

"Let’s push it and see how he copes with that. He's so willing to be back in the team. We're very positive and pushing it every day, seeing how the pain develops."

Takehiro Tomiyasu also limped off in the Sporting match, which saw Arsenal eliminated from the Europa League, and has since been ruled out for the campaign.

Arsenal had another injury scare in the week, meanwhile, as influential midfielder Partey did not play in Ghana's 1-1 draw with Angola for precautionary reasons.

But the 29-year-old is likely to feature against 14th-place Leeds at Emirates Stadium as Arsenal look to maintain – or indeed extend – their eight-point lead at the summit.

"We're positive about him. Hopefully he'll be back," Arteta said.

Arteta confirmed he otherwise has a fully-fit squad to choose from, with striker Gabriel Jesus now nearing full fitness after recently returning from a long-term lay-off.

"He's close to 100 per cent," Arteta said. "He's taken a big step forward in recent days, creating chaos in training. He's in a really good place."

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 13 meetings with Leeds in all competitions, winning 11 of those, since a 3-2 loss in May 2003 that ended the Gunners' title bid that season.

The Gunners have won six league games in a row ahead of hosting Leeds to keep Manchester City, who they still have to face away from home, at arm's length.

Gabriel Jesus was named in Arsenal's starting XI for their Europa League clash with Sporting CP.

Jesus returned from injury as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Fulham on Sunday, a victory that moved them five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The former Manchester City forward had not featured since sustaining a knee injury while on duty with Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar last year.

Jesus' last goal came at the start of October, in a 3-1 defeat of Arsenal's north London rivals Tottenham.

With the last-16 tie against Sporting level at 2-2 after the first leg in Lisbon, Mikel Arteta selected Jesus to lead Arsenal's line at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

Reiss Nelson kept his starting place from the first leg, with Gabriel Martinelli completing the front three as Bukayo Saka dropped to the bench.

Matt Turner, Ben White and Jakub Kiwior started in Lisbon, but Aaron Ramsdale, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Magalhaes came into the defence for the rematch, with Jorginho, Fabio Vieira and Granit Xhaka keeping their places in midfield.

William Saliba put Arsenal ahead on March 9 before Goncalo Inacio and Paulinho turned matters around, but Hidemasa Morita's own goal ensured the second leg would start on level terms.

Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey were the first-team regulars named alongside Saka on the bench, with Arteta juggling progress in Europe with the Gunners' title charge – they face Crystal Palace at home on Sunday.

Gabriel Jesus has given Mikel Arteta "a great problem" after the Arsenal forward returned from injury with a cameo appearance in Sunday's 3-0 victory at Fulham.

Manager Arteta saw Jesus impress in the opening months of the season as the Gunners began their title challenge, but they have learned to cope without him since the former Manchester City man suffered a knee injury on Brazil duty at the World Cup.

There is still no mistaking Jesus has a role to play in the Premier League run-in, but Arteta, while delighted to have the £45million man back, said the 25-year-old "needs to earn his place".

Arteta brought on Jesus as a 77th-minute substitute at Craven Cottage, in place of Leandro Trossard, whose three first-half assists paved the way for the London derby victory.

"We didn't know whether it was the right game for him today," Arteta said. "A few days ago, he told me he was missing something, and then yesterday he looked me in the eyes and told me he was ready.

"Today we had the opportunity to throw him in because it's that first step to give him the boost. He looked free and generated two big chances straight away, and it's great to have him back.

"Now he needs to earn his place like anyone else in the team. We have alternatives that can play in different positions, and we have different roles to fill in relation to the chemistry of the players and what we ask them to do. It's a great problem to have, believe me.

"I was so happy. He put a lot in the last few months, and all the staff spent so many hours together to try to fulfil all his needs. He wanted more and more and more, and he was very willing to get back. Just to see him there with a smile on his face was just a joy."

Jesus shared that emotion, writing on Twitter that he was "so happy to be back".

Arteta praised his team's "love for defending" after the clean sheet and called it an "outstanding performance", with Arsenal reasserting their five-point advantage over Manchester City, with 11 rounds of games remaining.

Trossard, a January recruit from Brighton and Hove Albion, set up the goals for Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.

Arteta commended the Belgian winger, saying: "When we talk about composure and finding the right pass, and looking to the right player in the box, it's very blurry and some other players make rash decisions, and he created three goals.

"He could have scored two – I think he was really impressive. His contribution was superb."

Victory took Arteta to 100 wins as manager of Arsenal, and the former club captain said: "Hopefully there will be many more."

Martin Odegaard declared Gabriel Jesus' long-awaited return from injury was "a massive boost" for Arsenal following their 3-0 win over Fulham.

The Premier League leaders took a step closer to the title, regaining their five-point lead at the top thanks to first-half goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Odegaard at Craven Cottage.

Mikel Arteta also welcomed Jesus back for his first Arsenal appearance since the win at Wolves in November, the Brazil international appearing as a late substitute for the impressive Leandro Trossard, who chalked up three assists.

Captain Odegaard was delighted to see his team-mate back in action, but insists the Gunners are not getting carried away despite moving within 10 wins of Premier League glory.

"It's a massive boost," he told Sky Sports about Jesus' return. "He's been out for a while now.

"We know what he’ll give to the team and we are excited to have him back."

Odegaard added: "We did really well from the start. We controlled the game and scored some good goals in the first half. The second half was a bit different, but very good.

"[We have the] same focus. We've said all season we’ll take it game by game. We'll do the same things, keep working hard and see where it takes us."

Odegaard also praised the performance of January arrival Trossard, after the former Brighton and Hove Albion man became the first player in Premier League history to register a hat-trick of first-half assists away from home.

"He has brought some amazing things to the team," Odegaard said. 

"I love playing with him. He's good to find the right pass and we're really happy to have him on the team."

Trossard himself could find few faults with the performance.

He said: "When we win, we're always happy. We knew it would be a tough game. We did really well and kept a clean sheet as well.

"[It was] a perfect win for us. I'm really happy with it [the hat-trick of assists], I always try to contribute and today it went my way. I'm just really happy we won, now there are 11 finals to go for us."

Arsenal became the first side in the history of English league football to win five successive away London derbies without conceding a single goal, while Arteta chalked up his 100th win in charge of the Gunners.

"I'm really happy to win and get three points away from home, especially with a clean sheet," the Spaniard said. 

"It's great to see the goals distributed through the team. Leandro laid on three assists and could also have scored too.

"Every time we put the ball in the net, it's great. We practice lots of things and we scored beautiful goals."

Gabriel Jesus was included in Arsenal's squad for the first time since November for Sunday's Premier League meeting with London rivals Fulham.

Arsenal made the short trip to Craven Cottage with the aim of restoring their five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the division.

Manager Mikel Arteta said ahead of the game he had yet to make a decision on whether Jesus would be involved, having only returned to full training this week.

But the Brazil international, whose most recent club appearance came in a 2-0 win at Wolves on November 12, was named among Arsenal's substitutes.

Jesus had scored five goals in 14 Premier League appearances for Arsenal prior to sustaining a knee injury which required surgery while away on World Cup duty.

Leandro Trossard was deemed fit enough to start against Fulham after missing the 2-2 Europa League last-16 first-leg draw with Sporting CP in midweek.

Arteta made five changes in all from that match, with captain Martin Odegaard also returning after recovering from illness.

Eighth-place Fulham, who were seeking a first win over Arsenal in 10 league meetings, made two changes for the contest.

The big news was the absence of ex-Arsenal man Willian from their squad, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid coming into the XI. Tosin Adarabioyo replaced Issa Diop in the other change.

Manor Solomon, who had scored in each of his past five appearances in all competitions, retained his place in the starting line-up.

Arsenal had won all four of their away London derbies in the league this season prior to facing Fulham, doing so by an aggregate 8-0 scoreline.

Fulham XI: Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Lukic; De-Cordova Reid, Pereira, Solomon; Mitrovic.

Subs: Rodak, Wickens, Wilson, James, Vinicius, Diop, Francois, Harris, Robinson. 

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.

Subs: Turner, Tierney, Jesus, Smith Rowe, Holding, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson.

Gabriel Jesus trained alongside his Arsenal team-mates ahead of Thursday's meeting with Sporting CP as the striker eyes a return to action following a three-month injury lay-off.

Jesus made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Manchester City last July, helping Arsenal to the Premier League summit, but he has not played since suffering a knee injury in December.

Having undergone surgery on the injury – which he sustained while representing Brazil at the World Cup – Jesus returned to light training last month.

While Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said Jesus was "not far" from a return ahead of Saturday's thrilling 3-2 win over Bournemouth, he added the 25-year-old had "much more to do" before he could be reintegrated into the matchday squad.

On Wednesday, however, Arsenal were handed a huge boost as Jesus was pictured training outside with his team-mates ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Sporting.

Jesus has scored five goals in 14 Premier League outings for Arsenal and laid on five assists, a tally only bettered by Bukayo Saka (nine) and Martin Odegaard (six) among his Gunners team-mates this season.

After travelling to Lisbon for the first leg of their last-16 tie with Sporting, Arsenal go to Fulham for their next Premier League outing on Sunday, bidding to extend a five-point advantage over City at the top of the table.

Gabriel Jesus is closing in on an Arsenal return after four months on the sidelines, but the Premier League leaders will not have the striker available for Saturday's meeting with Bournemouth.

Jesus made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Manchester City last year, but he has not played since suffering a knee injury while representing Brazil at the World Cup in December. 

The 25-year-old returned to light training last month, and while his first club outing since November is not imminent, Arsenal fans will not have to wait much longer to see him in action.

Manager Mikel Arteta said of Jesus at Friday's pre-Bournemouth press conference: "He's not far now. I don't want to give a timeline – he's not very close, but he's not far at all, and he's feeling better every day. 

"The doctors are confident with the way the injury is evolving and we are in a good place with him, I think.

"It's been pretty straightforward. Obviously at the start we were really concerned about the extent of the injury. Thankfully it was not that bad, but it was a long-term injury and required surgery.

"Knowing Gabi, he's gone through this before. His mentality is just incredible and I think the team has done a good job to put him in the position he's in today."

Asked if Jesus could play before the international break later this month, Arteta added: "We don't know. We're not far away but he needs to do much more with the team.

"Lets see how the next week or 10 days develop, then we'll have a much better picture."

Despite Jesus' absence, Arsenal are five points clear at the summit after winning seven of their 11 Premier League games since the World Cup.

Arteta is proud of his players' reaction to Jesus' injury, with Eddie Nketiah among those to have stepped up to fill the void up top.

"That was a huge blow for the team. We knew the importance of Gabi and the way he transformed this period and the belief," Arteta said.

"But to be fair, the team made a step forward and players took more responsibility individually. They were keen to maintain the level and we have done it so far.

"What he was producing for the team was phenomenal. But it's true that we now need to see what level he comes back at, how we are going to fit him in. 

"Like everybody else he will have to earn his place, but we know what Gabi can give to the team, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, two other stars of Arsenal's bid for a first league title since 2004 – Bukayo Saka and William Saliba – have entered the final 18 months of their contracts with the Gunners, who are keen to tie them down to long-term deals.

Arteta, however, is unwilling to publicly discuss their futures until Arsenal's title charge is concluded.  

"Every player is very important. Obviously there are players with special circumstances contractually, and we are trying to deal with them," he said.

"But I don't want to cause any distractions in this moment with those conversations. When something is done and it's good news, we will announce it."

Thomas Partey could return when Arsenal face Leicester City on Saturday and Mikel Arteta revealed Gabriel Jesus is "progressing well."

Partey missed the Gunners' defeat to Manchester City and the win at Aston Villa due to a muscle injury.

The midfielder, who has started all 18 of the league games he has been available for this season, may be back at the King Power Stadium this weekend, though, as the Gunners attempt to remain top of the Premier League table.

Arteta told reporters on Friday: "Thomas hasn't trained much, but looks like he could be available. Let's see how he trains today.

"He's a really important player for us, hopefully he can be available."

Jesus has been out since suffering a knee injury while he was on Brazil duty at the World Cup in December, but Arteta has provided an encouraging update on the striker's recovery.

"He's progressing really well. He's doing more and more on the field and he's not reacting [negatively], so that's really positive," Arteta said of Jesus.

"We want to have him as quickly as possible but also respect the timeframe we got from the doctor and the specialists. He's really pushing the boundaries right now."

Arsenal are two points clear of City with a game in hand after coming from behind twice to beat Villa 4-2 before the champions drew at Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United are only five points adrift of the Gunners, however, and Arteta does not believe it is a two-horse race for the title.

He said: "I think there are more teams involved and every day is going to be a race. Today it's how we convince those players to train better, to play better against Leicester.

"We're going to have to be really good to beat them, especially with the way they've been playing in the last few weeks."

Brendan Rodgers saluted "game changers" Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of Leicester City's Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners are two points clear at the summit with a game in hand on second-place Manchester City heading into their final 15 matches of the campaign.

Their quest for a first domestic title in 19 years has been boosted by the performances of former Man City duo Jesus and Zinchenko, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium in pre-season.

Jesus scored twice and provided two assists in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Leicester in August, though the Brazil international will miss the return fixture at the King Power Stadium on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Meanwhile, the versatile Zinchenko has played 20 times under Mikel Arteta this term, and Rodgers praised the impact of both players.

"I think [Arsenal have] had a fantastic season up until now," the Foxes head coach said. "I think that you sensed right at the very beginning of the season when we played [them], they'd signed the two players that were a game changer for them in terms of mentality.

"When you've got the likes of Kieran Tierney on the bench – who's an outstanding player – because of Zinchenko playing, then it really shows you the quality of the squad that they have.

"But I think Zinchenko and Jesus coming in really will have helped, and given [them] that mindset. [William] Saliba coming in at the back and obviously the other players then improve, and so I think that they played very well on that day.

"Whenever we got close to them, we made mistakes, which gave them a cushion in the game. But you could see in that early part of the season that there was a good feeling around the place and that's continued through the season.

"I think Mikel [Arteta] has done a fantastic job with them, and, okay, still a long way to go – 15 games to go – but they've had a very, very good season so far."

Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Jesus are back in light training ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Brentford.

Smith Rowe has missed most of the 2022-23 season with groin and thigh injuries, making just six appearances for the Gunners, all from the bench.

Speaking to the media before Saturday's game at Emirates Stadium, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Smith Rowe is among a trio of injured players back in training, but he did say the midfielder will still not be available for the weekend.

"The ones that were [out for a] long time, like Emile, Reiss [Nelson] and Gabi [Jesus], they are closer," he said. "They started to do some work outside, but they are not ready to contribute yet."

The eventual return of Jesus will also be a boost for the league leaders, with the Brazilian having played a key role in firing Arsenal up the table earlier in the campaign, but Arteta does not want to rush him back.

"We need to respect some timelines and some processes, but he is doing really well," the manager said. "You have to see now when you put some load on that knee and put some movement and how he reacts."

Arteta also insisted his team's "only focus is on Brentford tomorrow" and refused to be drawn on the Premier League's decision to refer title rivals Manchester City to an independent commission for alleged breaches of financial regulations.

The Spaniard previously worked at City under Pep Guardiola and said he did not see anything untoward while at the club.

Meanwhile, Arteta spoke effusively about how much he values people who bring energy, referring to himself as an "energy giver".

"As a young manager, I love energy," he said. "I am an energy giver, I don't like energy suckers.

"I like people who give energy in many different ways. Sometimes it's with body language, with tone of voice, hugging people, looking for solutions and not excuses. I love energy."

Arteta also spoke of his admiration for Folarin Balogun, who is enjoying a productive loan spell in Ligue 1 this season.

The 21-year-old striker has scored 15 goals in 23 games for Reims, and the boss of his parent club explained the decision to send him to France.

"[I am] so happy for him," he said. "He's a boy with a really clear idea of what he wants to do in his career. And he's really brave. We discussed before whether it was the right place to go, and I'm really pleased for him.

"Obviously when you look at the numbers and what he's doing, it's incredible, but he's got something special, that's why we gave him a long-term contract."

Mikel Arteta wants Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah to put together a consistent run to help Premier League leaders Arsenal cope with Gabriel Jesus' absence.

The trio all scored in Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham on Boxing Day, and the Gunners are now certain to end 2022 at the top of the table after building a five-point lead over Manchester City.

Jesus was ruled out for three months after suffering a knee injury during the World Cup, in what could prove a blow to their title hopes.

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, Arteta demanded that Martinelli, Saka and Nketiah keep the standards high.

"It's just one game. They have to show the consistency and the capacity to do that every three days," Arteta said in a press conference.

"That's what we need from the players. Obviously we had a big blow with Gabi, and not having him had a big impact on the team.

"We always said Eddie had the quality and he just needed the opportunities to show that.

"We are really happy with where we are, but as I always said, there are a lot of things we can still do better and improve."

Meanwhile, Arteta expects to have another attacking option available soon, revealing Emile Smith Rowe is closing in on a return from the groin injury he suffered in September.

"He's made some big steps in the last week or so, he took part in a few training sessions lately and is looking good," Arteta said.

"We are really keen to have him back soon."

The Gunners are locked in negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk over a deal for Mykhaylo Mudryk, having reportedly had a £57million (€64.4m) bid for the winger rejected.

Shakhtar director Carlo Nicolini said the Ukrainian team expect to receive a fee closer to £100m (€113.2m) for the 21-year-old, who has been touted as a future Ballon d'Or candidate by Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, his former coach.

However, Arteta was reluctant to discuss the potential transfer, saying: "I can't talk about players that aren't at Arsenal."