Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta lauds "remarkable" Brentford coach Thomas Frank

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on "remarkable" Brentford coach Thomas Frank ahead of Friday's Premier League opener.

Bees coach Frank led his side to their first-ever season in the Premier League via the Championship playoffs last term, which also marks the end of their 74-year absence from the top flight.

Arteta and Frank will lock horns in opposite dugouts at the Brentford Community Stadium on Friday night, and the Spaniard has lavished praise on his opposite number.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Arteta said: "There's always different ways and I think Thomas [Frank] is remarkable. They are an exciting team and the way they've come up after a few disappointments in previous seasons. What Thomas has done there is fantastic and it says a lot about them.

"They have a very clear direction to what they've done, from top to bottom they know what they want to do, they execute it really well. They will be a really tough opponent for every team in the Premier League.

"The clarity on what they do, they've been doing it for a long time together and you can see that. They have that constantly through the squad, the fluidity and the plan that they put in place works for them. That's a big strength for any team."

Ahead of Friday's first Premier League encounter of the season, Arteta has also challenged his players to show greater consistency in the top flight.