Arteta happy with Arsenal spirit

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has praised the spirit shown at the club since his arrival and said it exceeded his expectations.

The Spaniard has been a key part of Arsene Wenger’s side since joining from Everton last August and occupies the midfield role formerly occupied by Cesc Fabregas.

“To be honest I was really surprised with the spirit when I came here – even when we were down it was so good,” Arteta told the club’s official website.

“It is something you rely on because if you start blaming each other and shouting at each other it is not good.

“This group has always been positive, the manager has always been positive with the players and we have kept at it. We have the talent, we know we have the ability to win games and sometimes it is just about the balance in confidence. We have it all together now.”

The 30-year-old scored Arsenal’s third goal on Saturday in their 3-0 win over Aston Villa with a great free-kick, powering them to their seventh league win in succession.

“When you are winning, life is good and you can see that the fans are enjoying it at the moment,” said Arteta. “They deserve it as well because they were behind us when things weren’t going right.

“Hopefully we can finish the season strongly because we have a group of players and staff who really mean business.”