Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hailed the togetherness of his players following their 6-0 thrashing of West Bromwich Albion in the second round of the EFL Cup.
With the Gunners in desperate need of a confidence boost after 2-0 defeats to Brentford and Chelsea in the Premier League, Arteta fielded a strong XI against Valerien Ismael's fringe players and prospects.
Despite a somewhat shaky start, Arsenal soon cruised to victory thanks to a hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well as strikes from Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette, and Arteta was pleased with what he saw.
"The togetherness that the players are showing, how much they want to turn the situation around. I'm really happy for them and the fans that we can give them something to cheer today," he said.
"It's great to see the support we got from the fans today. They came all the way here on a midweek night. The players were talking about it. We need to physically ready for Manchester now."
The Gunners boss also sang the praises of Aubameyang as he walked away with the match ball under his arm, saying: "He's a really happy character. He needs that connection with people, with his family, friends and the fans. I think that's something really positive for him [having fans back in the crowd]."
Arsenal will take on AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the cup next month and now prepare to face Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday.
Ben Knapton
