Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta denies Bernd Leno reacted badly for being benched

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has dismissed claims that said goalkeeper Bernd Leno misbehaved after being dropped out of the team's 1-0 victory over Norwich, insisting that the player acted like a "top professional" would do.

Aaron Ramsdale, who joined Arsenal last month from Sheffield United, started defending the Gunners' net last weekend's match where captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang earned the north London club a victory.

Ramsdale's net has not been penetrated since he started wearing Arsenal colours as he helped Arsenal win the Carabao Cup clash against West Brom 6-0, and rumours said he would start in his side's trip to Burnley on Saturday as well.

However, Arsenal head coach Arteta refused to name which keeper he would pick for the upcoming clash.

"It's the same in every position. We want them to make each other better," Arteta told reporters at a pre-match press conference on Thursday. We are competing against the opponent and we are not competing against each other here.

"We're just trying to bring players that can raise the level of the players that play in the position, the level of the team, the level of the club and this is the only reason.

"Obviously, for Bernd, it wasn't a pleasing communication when I told him that he wasn't playing but he's a top professional and a top person and he should be disappointed and he should support his teammates like they have all done with him every time he's played. And that's exactly what he's done."

Reports have claimed that Arteta would play Leno for Arsenal's north London derby against Tottenham, which follows the match against the Clarets, but Arteta played down the claim.

"I don't know where they are coming from but they are ahead of me!" Arteta replied when asked about the reports.

"I think I am the one who picks the team at the weekend and sometimes I read things that I haven't decided yet.

"So they give me ideas at the most but nothing else because I haven't made a decision for Saturday so imagine also the north London derby."

On rumours claiming Leno reacted badly to being benched, Arteta responded: "No, that's not true. That's not true. He responded, he can be frustrated but he was top with his teammates in training and with everything. That's not true."

Arteta further insisted that he had not given his players any kind of assurances that they would be featured in an upcoming game.

"This is what I said to them and said to the goalkeepers in the last two or three years, we don't want to do that," he added. "What we want to do is empower performance and ask them to train, behave and play the best possible way.

"How can I guarantee someone to do something? It wouldn't make sense with what we're demanding them to do.

"It's on a daily basis, what you did three months ago, in football, it doesn't 'count. It's what you're going to do today and tomorrow and that's it."

Arsenal is currently sitting in 16th place in the Premier League standings and will be playing without Rob Holding and Mohamed Elneny, who suffered from knee and hamstring injuries respectively.

The Gunners will also be playing without Granit Xhaka as he is currently being suspended due to a foul in the match against Manchester City.