André Santos – Arteta has helped me settle in at Arsenal

Santos, 29, joined the Gunners from Turkish side Fenerbahce last summer in a deal worth £6.2 million.

''I get on well with every single one of the players, I treat and respect everyone equally and vice versa,'' the Brazilian told Arsenal Player.

''Mikel Arteta is Spanish and our languages are quite similar so he is helping me the most.

''He is always giving me instructions about the Premier League. He played for Everton for a long time and arrived at Arsenal at the same time as I did so he helped me settle.

''We're always messing around in the changing room, on the pitch during the warm up; he's always saying something to make me laugh or calling me nicknames but it’s always good spirited with no harm. We work together every day and need these moments of distraction.''

Santos also claims that the good relationship amongst the Arsenal players off the pitch helps the team's performance on the field of play.

''This link with the club is very important, us players always go out for dinner and social events together.

''I'm always doing something with Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Robin van Persie, Mikel, Yossi Benayoun, Ignasi Miguel and others.

''This link between us off the pitch is very strong and it benefits the team on the pitch.''