Arteta “Cesc helped advise me on the areas to live, about the team-mates, about the club & how good they are, the people at the club. It was very good!" Szczesny “we defended fantastic!' Koscielny "I think we defended very well - all the team defends together!" Yossi delighted to be an Arsenal player! Fellaini Linked!

• Mikel Arteta says Cesc Fabregas has helped him settle at Arsenal.

Arteta revealed that former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas advised him on how to adjust to life at the club.

He said: "I talked to him the day after I signed the contract and he helped me on two or three things. He was really nice to me.

"He advised me on the areas to live, about the team-mates, about the club and how good they are, the people at the club. It was very good."

• Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has told his defensive teammates he's proud of them.

Per Mertesacker and co came together to secure a point at Borussia Dortmund this week.

Szczesny said: "I said to the guys after the game, 'listen, we defended fantastic', and if you're going to concede that is the way you want to do it. It was a deserved draw for both sides.

"We gained a point in Dortmund in one of the toughest fixtures, which will give us a confidence boost. Hopefully we can go to Blackburn and get the three points."

• Former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta says he's ready to meet the higher expectations at Arsenal.

The Gunners are used to expectations but new signing Arteta says the team should accept and embrace them in their quest for silverware.

“With a club like Arsenal, you are going to be under pressure and you need to handle it and try your best,” he said. “At every club I have been at, I have had pressure and this is not going to be different.

“But being under pressure is good because it means people expect something from you.

“The challenge here is to win trophies and at Everton I didn’t have the chance to do that. Hopefully we are going to have it here and we can make it.”

• Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny hailed their defensive performance in getting a draw at Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund.

Koscielny partnered Per Mertesacker in the heart of defence and had to cope with a barrage of 17 shots on goal from the home side.

Koscielny told the club's official website: "It was a hard game, Dortmund played very well. We defended well, but to concede a goal two minutes before the end was difficult for us.

"We didn't lose, which was good. We have a game at home, and it is important to win that.

"I think we defended very well - all the team defends together."

• Yossi Benayoun is delighted to be an Arsenal player.

The Chelsea loan signing made his first start in last night's draw at Borussia Dortmund.

"The manager decided to bring a few players in, I am one of them, and I am sure we will add something to the team and together we will take the team forward," he said.

"It’s lovely to play for a big club like Arsenal and it’s a big challenge for me. I was happy that I have the chance to play and hopefully, with every chance I get, I will justify myself.

"I am enjoying it. The guys gave me a good feeling from the beginning and it is a big challenge. Like I said, any chance that I get I will prove that I deserve to be here. Hopefully we will have a great season."

• Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny felt Alex Song's return was crucial in their draw at Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund.

Song returned to the squad after missing the last three games through suspension and Koscielny was pleased to see him back.

He said: "It's very important to have Alex [Song] near the centre-backs, because he stops the opportunities coming to the other team. It's good for us.

"We are in a good place now and we want to go and win at Blackburn."

• Arsenal loan signing Yossi Benayoun has no regrets over his time with Chelsea.

Benayoun endured a frustrating time at Stamford Bridge with injuries and said leaving the club was the only option for him when the time came.

“I didn’t get a chance at Chelsea because I was injured,” he said. “I was unlucky. I felt I would not get many chances so I wanted to leave first.

“For me, it was great opportunity for me to play in a great club and in the Champions League.

“I don’t want to show anything to Chelsea. I want to show Arsenal that I deserve to be here and I will prove it. I know they were unlucky in the last few years.

“They were always close and I believe that we can win something. There is a long way to go and we have to improve but we have a lot of quality and will do everything to win a trophy.”

• Francis Coquelin is delighted for Emmanuel Frimpong over his first team breakthrough at Arsenal.

Frimpong has gone on to feature regularly in Arsène Wenger's first team this season and Coquelin says his fellow midfielder has encouraged him to push on and work hard for his place in the squad.

"I am really pleased for him," Coquelin said. "He had a big injury last season, and now he's back in the first team.

"It shows me that I can do it because the manager has confidence in younger players. I will just keep working hard in training and show the manager I can play in this team."

• Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin is not taking his first team chance for granted.

The young Frenchman is determined to remain in Wenger’s line of sight following his loan spell at Lorient last season and wants to let his time on the pitch do the talking.

“If he uses me that means he has got confidence in me,” Coquelin said. “I have to keep showing I have the quality to play in the first team, and I can show that in training and in the games.

“Obviously I played a lot [at Lorient] so it gave me a lot of experience. I will try and bring that to Arsenal and keep improving.”

• Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini could be set to follow Mikel Arteta to Arsenal in January after David Moyes admitted he could be forced to sell.

The big Belgian is out of contract in 18 months, meaning if no new deal is agreed at Goodison Park by January, his value would plummet to almost half of his £15million value in the summer.

Fellaini has been in discussions with Toffees chiefs for the past six months, and although Moyes is confident a deal is ‘close’, the Scot knows that selling star man Arteta could have temporarily held up negotiations.

‘Yes, there is a danger that selling Mikel could set a precedent, but I hope not. I would like to think we can hang onto our best players,’ said Moyes.

‘But there is always a danger when someone goes after saying they want to leave that it could set a precedent, and we will have to be careful of that.’

Fellaini, 23, was rumoured to be interesting the Gunners this summer, and would likely jump at the chance to play Champions League football in the New Year.

Arsenal will be without Emmanuel Frimpong for the month of January if he's called up to Ghana's African Nations squad, meaning Arsene Wenger may be forced to enter the market for a dominant midfielder.

• Arsenal summer signing Joel Campbell made his European debut on the weekend for Lorient.

Campbell's international clearance from Deportivo Saprissa came through last week in time for the Costa Rica international to make his debut for Lorient in their 1-1 draw at Sochaux.

The teen joined Arsenal in August ahead of being loaned to Lorient after failing to gain a UK work permit.
Campbell came off the bench with Lorient 1-0 down and created the equaliser for Innocent Emeghara.