Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table on Sunday following a 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest.
It comes after two recent poor performances against Southampton and then PSV Eindhoven and Arteta will surely be pleased that his side returned to winning ways.
What's the word?
There was a scare during that victory, however, with key man Bukayo Saka suffering an injury after just 27 minutes and having to be substituted in place of Reiss Nelson, who scored two second-half goals.
The immediate fear was whether or not the injury was bad enough for him to miss the upcoming World Cup, however, Arteta quelled these worries, saying:
“Hopefully not. It was a bad kick. Right from the beginning, he was limping, but I don’t see any further than that. Let’s see how he is in the next couple of days.”
A big bonus for the Gunners
This update will be a massive relief to both Arsenal and England, with the two teams chasing glory of some sort in the near future.
Saka has been outstanding this campaign, especially in the Premier League, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.25, while chipping in with four goals and five assists and this has been a big factor in the club hitting the top spot in the league table.
In the Gunners’ squad, Saka ranks third for key passes per match (two), successful dribbles (1.3 per match), and rating (7.25) showing just how important he is to Arteta’s side.
With the club chasing its first Premier League crown since 2003/04, they will need everyone to be at the top of their game and the 21-year-old has certainly led the way this season.
There is still a long way to go in the season, especially with a World Cup to think about in a few weeks, but if Saka is fit for the tournament and impresses, he could return to Arsenal full of confidence.
Arteta will be able to use the likes of Nelson and even Marquinhos to fill the potential void left by Saka in the next few games, but any longer and the club may start to struggle. They will be praying for an immediate return to fitness for the energetic winger.