Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he's delighted with the recent form of Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Arteta says the Japan international has been at his best since returning from the international break.

The manager stated: "I always said I'm really confident the moment Tomi has consistency, he's going to be a tremendous asset for us. He already is.

"He can play in any position in the backline, any formation in the backline and we don't have a player like him. Defending, (he) is probably the best I've seen in many situations. His concepts, his principles, the way he applies them, the way he goes into duels. Now he needs a run of games. Physically, he is at his best. If Tomi is physically at his best, we're going to have a player that is so important for us.

"Yeah, but especially the way he reads danger and resolves urgent situations with a lot of composure. His skill to defend, the way his body is built, it makes him a really complete player to do that. It's really difficult to get past him. He's always alert, that's the way he's been raised and educated - he's always super focused. For a defender, that's a big, big attribute."