Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he was taken aback by comments from Bernd Leno this week.

The Fulham goalkeeper took aim at Arsenal, accusing Arteta of selecting Aaron Ramsdale ahead of him last season due to "politics".

Asked about the German's claims, Arteta said at his Europa League presser: "I'm really surprised.

"I don't know if he was talking about the politics when he was starting every match or the politics when he wasn't playing. I'm really surprised about it."

Meanwhile, Arteta said of tonight's clash with FC Zurich: "This is a competition that we want to take very seriously, against an opponent that is going to make life difficult for us. We want to start the competition the right way and maintain our momentum."