Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta took aim at undermining forces 'no longer here' ahead of their final game of the season.

He did not name names but Arteta hinted firmly at exiled senior players, including Mesut Ozil, by confirming those he considered responsible were no longer in situ.

"The best thing has been to keep a team, a staff, employees and everybody together," said the Arsenal boss.

"In those circumstances when you are not winning and when there are so many people, some inside and some outside trying to hurt.

"To keep them together and block that out and be so strong, I think that is some achievement. Normally when that happens it cracks and everything falls and it didn't."

Asked directly if those people were still inside the club, Arteta said, "No."

Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Sead Kolasinac were all shipped out in January - and Arsenal's form in the Premier League has been second only to champions Manchester City during the second half of the campaign.