Mikel Arteta admitted his envy at Liverpool's greater strength in depth after Arsenal lost ground in the Premier League title race with a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is ready to call upon Declan Rice as an emergency option at centre-back in the absence of William Saliba. Saliba missed Saturday’s draw with Aston Villa due to a hamstring injury picked up in the north London derby last Wednesday.

A jubilant Mikel Arteta said Arsenal have put themselves in a really strong position to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 following their 3-0 win against Dinamo Zagreb. Declan Rice fired the Gunners ahead within two minutes at the Emirates Stadium before Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard completed the victory in the second half.

Mikel Arteta has been told he made a ‘big mistake’ with injured Arsenal defender William Saliba. Saliba has been a key member of Arteta’s squad over the past three seasons, making over 100 appearances for the Gunners.

Arsenal are chasing a former Manchester City player to strengthen their side this month, in a surprise move from manager Mikel Arteta. The Gunners have been lacking in creativity and goals, dropping two points at home to Aston Villa last week in a disappointing collapse in the title race.