Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was delighted with his young players for victory over Aston Villa.

Emile Smith Rowe was outstanding on the night for the 3-1 win.

Arteta said, "This is what you get [from young players]. They can get you the level, they need the consistency. That comes with experience and maturity. It has to happen now. They showed they can do it tonight.

“It was really impressive what they did, especially Nuno Tavares. This was his first start. To play with courage, credit to the boy.

“We reviewed the Crystal Palace game, how we started and why we weren't consistent in the game. We put it right today."

He added: "We are the youngest team in the league. We can't change that. We have to find why these things happen and put them right."

Alexandre Lacazette started and Arteta also said: "He was terrific. The way he finished the last game, I already made the decision [to start him]. He worked really hard, he hasn't played many minutes."

On Thomas Partey's first goal, the manager stated: "Finally, he's been really trying and he deserves it. He could have scored another two. He was a happy boy."