Arteta’s side faced Chelsea just four days after securing a memorable 3-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich in midweek.
The visitors were unable to secure all three points at Stamford Bridge, despite Moises Caicedo’s early red card as the game ended 1-1.
Speaking after the game, Arteta admitted he was disappointed but was proud of how his players handled a difficult week.
"Right from the beginning you could sense how much was at stake. Every duel and action was full gas, very short sequences of play. With the 10 men we expected a different game, we plan it, we went through it in the second half.
“They get a free kick and they score. Then it becomes a very tricky game to play. Overall I think that when you don't win with 10 men for 45 minutes you have to be disappointed. But you have to know the week we had, a tough opponent."
"They did everything they can again. They've never played together so we need to build that synergy. There were a lot of things happening before the game. The spirit of the team is in tact. We've had a massive week both mentally and physically and I think overall it's a positive week.
"You have to play the occasion in certain duels and the way they propose the game as well. There are certain moments where you can sense at times. We gave everything.
When asked about their quick equaliser, he added: "It's very tricky. They have a lot of experienced players with big personalities. They know what they are doing and who to target. We have to play all those within the game. In the end we scored, we had two massive chances as well to score and we didn't.
"I don't know the right words because I'm disappointed obviously with not getting the three points against 10 men. But with everything that happened in the week, I think overall I just have to be very proud of what the team has done."