Mikel Arteta had a simple message for his Arsenal players (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta had a simple message for his Arsenal players at half-time against Sunderland, with his side 1-0 down at the Stadium of Light at the time.

Former Arsenal academy product Dan Ballard sent the hosts ahead after 36 minutes, ending the Gunners’ run of eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions. The north Londoners struggled in the first half to break the hosts down and Riccardo Calafiori has revealed what was said in the away dressing room at the interval.

“[Arteta] just said that we needed to basically win our duels and then from there we could start to play our game, so that’s what we did," the left-back said. "I think you would have seen on the pitch in the second half, I think we deserved it, we played better than them and just in one action you concede, and you draw the game, but this is the level.”

Arsenal came out firing in the second period, with Bukayo Saka levelling with a low effort nine minutes...