- Arsenal top of Premier League
- Gunners return with clash against West Ham
- Arteta confident they are ready
WHAT HAPPENED? The Gunners entered the World Cup break with a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League and have been getting ready to resume their campaign by playing friendlies against Lyon, AC Milan and Juventus. Arteta's team are back in action with a home game against West Ham on December 26 and the manager is confident his side can start strong.
WHAT THEY SAID: "I think we’re in a really good place. Everybody is in a high emotional state because we are where we want to be which is the top of the league," he said when asked about the title race after his side's 2-0 friendly loss to Juventus. "I think we have deserved to be in the position that we’re in with the way we have played and approached games. This window has been to reinforce the position that we’re in. The good news is the amount of things we can still to do to improve to be a better team."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The north London side have a healthy lead at the top of the table but they were dealt a blow during the World Cup when striker Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for around a month with a knee injury. Arteta has said that his team could look to sign players in the January transfer window to ensure they are strong enough to fight for the title.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL? Arteta's team will look to preserve their five-point lead at the top of the table by beating West Ham on Boxing Day.