After finishing Group B with a 1-1 draw against Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta hailed their Champions League comeback as extremely encouraging.

Arsenal defeated RC Lens 6-0 at the end of the previous month to take first place in the group and a ticket in the round of sixteen.

The Gunners last participated in the Champions League during the 2016–17 campaign, making it to the round of 16, when they were destroyed 5-1 by Bayern Munich in both legs.

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After finishing second to Manchester City in the Premier League, they made a comeback to the competition this season. They won their group with 13 points, four more than PSV in second place.

“I think overall very, very positive, after six or seven years without being in the competition with a team that doesn’t have a lot of experience,” was Arteta’s assessment of the London club’s group campaign.

“I think we have competed very, very well. I really liked the approach of the team in every single game, the way we try to play and dominated the opponents.

“We’ve had some big results and big experiences as well… overall finishing first with a game to play we have to be really happy, close that chapter, leave it until February and make sure in February when that chapter opens up again we are in the best possible place to compete against another top side,” he told the post-match press conference.

Eight changes were made by Arteta from the team that Aston Villa defeated 1-0 the previous Saturday.

“There were times when we lacked coherence and timing, particularly when we pressed against a particularly strong side.

“There were also good moments. We had to defend awkward places a few times tonight, which could have cost us the game, he said. When timings are off, you have to defend awkward gaps.”

He continued, “I’m really happy with every player’s attitude and behaviour; they all tried, and in the end, we could have won it.“