Mikel Arteta says the new faces at Arsenal have lifted them this season.

Arsenal had a busy summer in the transfer market, with Robin van Persie and Alex Song leaving the club and Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud among the new arrivals. Coaches Steve Bould and Neil Banfield also moved up to the first team and Arteta has been impressed with how well the squad have bonded together.

"It has been really good because everybody synced really quickly," he told the London Evening Standard. "The new players, Steve Bould and Neil - they joined and it all clicked well.

"There is not a bad feeling when somebody is not playing, everybody knows they are going to get a chance because the manager has been changing a few players every week.

"Everyone is enthusiastic and you can feel that. The supporters as well because they were fantastic yesterday.

"They were buzzing and were right behind the team from the start. With some disappointments they had in the summer, they still believe in us and we have to show for them."