Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal was in a "difficult state" when he took over from Unai Emery in December.

In addition to their poor results, a toxic atmosphere amongst the club's support led to a bitter exchange with Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka.

Arteta's arrival was seen as a sign of a fresh start, and the Spaniard admitted he has been buoyed by the reaction he has received from those at the Emirates.

"I went through a lot when I got here... I had eight or 10 players injured, and there were a lot of issues to deal with," Arteta told Sky Sports.

"The connection between fans, players and club was in a difficult state at that moment. We had to change that energy, the belief and the commitment from the players."

It took Arsenal a few weeks to get show any signs of improvement under Arteta, with the turning point coming in a New Years' Day win over Man Utd.

He added: "I was very pleased because everyone was on board with what we were doing. We started to win three or four games in a row and there was a much more positive mindset around the place."