Mikel Arteta "surprised" Brentford game was not postponed

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that he was "surprised" that his side's game with Brentford was not called off due to the Gunners' coronavirus cluster.

Reports on the morning of the game revealed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette missed out due to illness, and Arsenal subsequently confirmed that the two players had tested positive for coronavirus.

Willian and Alex Runarsson also contracted the virus before the 2-0 defeat against Thomas Frank's men, and Arteta has expressed his surprise that the Premier League still went ahead with the game.

Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Chelsea, Arteta said: "Yes. I was surprised but the regulators decided the best thing to do was to play the game."

Arteta also talked up the arrival of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid, claiming that the Norwegian playmaker made the Gunners better during the second half of the 2020-21 season.