Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta thanks Manchester United after beating Chelsea

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has thanked Manchester United for teaching them a lesson during their 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford earlier this season.

Erik ten Hag's side are the only team to have beaten top-of-the-table Arsenal in the league this campaign. A debut goal from Antony and two second-half strikes from Marcus Rashford saw United put the Gunners to the sword in September.

Following that defeat, the North London club have gone on to beat Liverpool, Tottenham and most recently Chelsea in a string of impressive performances that have kept them two points clear of Manchester City. It now appears that the defeat nearly two months ago is still having an impact on their team.

Arsenal Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale admitted ahead of his side's 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday afternoon that the defeat to United acted as a wake-up call.

He said: “It was a good reset for us. It showed that we’re not untouchable, we still have a lot to work on - no matter where we are in the league. It’s good every now and then to be reminded of things. Of course, we didn’t want to lose and it’s definitely a crinkle in the sheets. But it came at a good time and is one we really bounced back from well.”

Arteta has now agreed with his shot-stopper's opinion, as the Spaniard revealed that the 3-1 loss was a vital lesson for his squad.

He said: "We lacked the discipline in that game. I think we learned that lesson really well because we played really well but didn't get the result."