Losing to Aston Villa twice played a major role in Arsenal falling short in last season's Premier League title race, and manager Mikel Arteta does not want to take Unai Emery's side for granted despite a win at Villa Park in August.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Aston Villa (kick-off 17:30). Here are the key lines from his news conference:

The Gunners head into the game following a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Arsenal take on Aston Villa on Saturday evening for a huge Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. talkSPORT have teamed up with Betfred to bring readers a special Bet Builder for Saturday

Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal "passed a test of attitude" after overcoming a difficult week to beat north London rivals Tottenham 2-1 at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Jamie Carragher fears Arsenal’s refusal to prioritise signing a forward in the summer transfer window could cost Arsenal the Premier League title. After two consecutive near misses, the Gunners were heavily tipped to finally end Manchester City’s dominance this season.

Have we already witnessed the peak years of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal reign? It feels like this Emirates era is heading towards a crossroads, with Arsenal in the middle of a high-stakes game. This will either be one of the greatest seasons in the club’s history - ending a 21-year wait for the Premier League title - or a campaign which ends amid a highly-charged post-season review as to how they squandered their best chance to become champions in two decades.

Mikel Arteta has refused to be drawn on any specifics regarding his team. The Spaniard has many players still out of the side going into the challenging test. Arteta faced the media in the build-up to a pivotal Premier League clash with Aston Villa with the chance to make a significant statement and avenge their title blow from the previous campaign.