Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was in a good mood after his side eased to a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday evening.

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Chelsea as the abject visitors slumped to a sixth consecutive loss under Frank Lampard.

The Gunners came into the game looking to put their 4-1 thrashing by title rivals Manchester City behind them and they did so in emphatic style in a completely one-sided first half. While the Gunners title odds may have shortened across the market How to find the best online betting operator is made simple when you try www.merkurxtip.rs for the best odds if you fancy a flutter. In the meantime, Martin Odegaard scored the first two goals of an excellent evening for Arsenal, twice capitalising on dismal Chelsea defending to dispatch Granit Xhaka crosses, with Gabriel Jesus then adding the third from close range.

The points were virtually assured after a three-goal blast in the opening 35 minutes, as we got back to winning ways and returned to the top of the table.

After the game the manager spoke to the media and discussed the performance, Jakub Kiwior's first Premier League start, Gabriel's fitness, Martin Odegaard's influence and the state of play in the title race.

Here’s a full transcript from his post-match press conference…

On the first-half performance…

I’m really pleased with the first 60 minutes. The way we approached the game, the way we started, our energy. There was a lot of movement, we played forward, scored some great goals and really connected with our supporters and created the atmosphere we wanted. After 60 minutes we should have scored four or five, we didn’t do that and after conceding the goal there is still a long period to play and we should have managed the game a little better.

On how much we needed that result…

I don’t have a number, but personally a lot because if we want to have any chance to win this league we had to win today. There was something there, we wanted to be back on top, after tonight we are and our job was done today and there are still four more to go.

On how Jakub Kiwior performed…

He looked ready, he looked fresh, he looked really determined. He’s been getting better and better every single day, not only in training but his interaction and his language. He’s more settled and he’s a player that I really like, that’s why I signed him. He has the potential at his age to be great and he had a big task against the players he had to face today, and I think he didn’t really well.

On Gabriel’s injury…

He wasn’t comfortable. We tried for 10 or 15 minutes but he could not carry on which is strange for Gabi. So we are a bit concerned about that because normally he’s not one that wants to leave the pitch.

On whether criticism of Martin Odegaard after the last game was fair…

I don’t know because I don’t read those comments. What I can say is that he’s been exceptional for us. You look at his contribution, every single day in the team and then what he does out there for us every single time, it’s exceptional. The perfect player that plays perfect football every time doesn’t exist. But what Martin has done this season deserves a lot of credit.

On his goals and assists stats this season…

That’s what we had to get out of him, he’s got the talent. But he needed to occupy different spaces and become a threat. And have the mentality to win matches, not just to control games. I think that’s changed. And when you have someone who is as humble as him and has every single day to push and learn and train, these things happen and I think he is rewarded for his work.

On whether the players have belief the title race isn’t over…

For sure. We discussed that. We are at the top right now, we have four games to go. We have to prepare for Newcastle now. Let’s see what happens, what we can control is to win our matches, and to do that we have to perform as well as possible.

On whether it would have been easy to drop their heads now…

We cannot do that. To be in the position we are in after ten months, against the team we are fighting, being there and having the opportunity tonight to be top, we’re not going to allow anybody not to talk about it and not to feel it. We have to enjoy and we have to embrace it, and we have to maximise the opportunity we have because we don’t know what’s going to happen.

On what he’s learnt during this intense period…

How great it is to win a football match. The feeling that I have right now is nothing like that. Going to the dressing room and feeling that energy, there is nothing like it. Everything that we go through is positive and negative, is worth it when you have moments like that. But anything, it’s just being next to them in the difficult moments, they deserve everything from us. The way they try, sometimes it was better than other times, but they fully deserve our full support.

On if he found it difficult to keep himself up during the tough moments…

No, it’s just about not putting the message too much on them. I wake up in the morning and cannot wait to start working; [seeing] what we are going to do, how we’re going to maintain that, and I know that we are taking those players to the very limit of where we are. But this is the only way to do it with this group of players to be where we are.

On if people underestimate tonight’s performance based off last week’s display against Manchester City…

I don’t know but this is our job. In elite sport, you’re going to have moments where you feel like you’ve failed and you feel like you have disappointed people, which is the worst thing for me, it’s that feeling that we’ve created something so well and then you feel like you’ve disappointed people, and that emotion is not nice, and it takes a while to get out of your system. But then we have to bounce back and try to give joy and pride to people, and that’s what you try to do when you play.

On if tonight’s result gives renewed energy to the team ahead of our trip to Newcastle…

Winning gives us a reset, playing the way we play, given the team that we are and win the game. Obviously, that gives you confidence, comfort and makes it better for you tomorrow when you start to prepare for Newcastle.

On what Jorginho brought to the team tonight…

What he brings every single day in training: leadership, intelligence, capacity to control the game, the way he communicates with people, the quality that he brings, the level of attention, the experience because he’s been in many situations like these before. That’s just the way he plays.

On if it’s easier to focus for the task at hand following all the build-up to the Manchester City game…

Yes, that chapter is gone. The one for tonight, will be gone tomorrow morning. We have to focus on the next one that is Newcastle and how we’re going to prepare to win the game.

On whether Odegaard set the tone for tonight…

Yes, but I think he’s done on that many occasions throughout the season. The energy that he has, when he hasn’t got the ball, the movement, the quality, the way he is in that dressing room is exceptional. We’re really pleased to have him as captain.