Arteta: Our spirit saw us through rough patch

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

The Spaniard has been a key part of Arsene Wenger's side since joining from Everton and has fit into 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 the third for the Gunners on Saturday from a free-kick which helped to extend their run to seven straight wins in the Premier League.

"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."