Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has hit back at critics of his side after they defeated AC Milan 2-0 in a Europa League clash on Thursday.

Goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey have put the Gunners in the driving seat heading into the second leg against the Italians which will be played at the Emirates.

The Gunners have been below-par this season and after a run of four successive defeats, they are currently languishing in sixth position on the standings with a top four finish looking unlikely.

Winning the Europa League is likely to be Arsene Wenger's sides best chance of playing in next seasons Champions League.

"A lot of people spoke about us from the outside, but nobody knows what is inside the team," the 25-year-old Xhaka said.

"We showed togetherness today, we showed spirit and a lot of character.

"Everyone knows that we lost the last four games and that was difficult for us. It was important to be together and to show the people on the outside that we are a team. We showed a good game today."