Arteta believes Sterling is determined to make a statement at Arsenal

The seasoned veteran has been brought in on a season long loan from Chelsea, and there is a possibility that he could be immediately thrust into the thick of things.

Asked if Sterling may play against Tottenham at the weekend, Arteta told reporters: “He looks great! First of all, because he’s got a big smile on his face, a lot of energy. 

“He’s at it and wants to prove a point. When someone has got that in their belly, you sense it straight away. Obviously, I don’t need to discover anything about his quality and what he can bring to the team.”

On what he has been like since his arrival: “I see his hunger - he’s a player who wants to play every minute of every game, and when that’s not the case, he’s not happy. 

“He loves football, it’s what he likes doing every single day and I see that. His commitment, the level of energy that he’s bringing to the team, and the quality is a big boost. You can feel that in the players as well when he walked through the door, we are better with him. He’s going to make us better.”

On getting goals out of him, Arteta finished: “He has his ability and the credit to that is his, and the players that he’s got around him. You need that when you are one of the front players. Certainly, he’s had that intuition, that will and the ability to do that and I’m sure he’s going to impact the team.”