Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres (2) struck the goals for Arsenal on the day.
“I’m very happy because it was a really tough match,” Arteta said afterwards. “They're a good team, they make it so hard for you. They're very good at disrupting the type of game that you want in a really smart way.
"They're really physical, they're really well coached and it's difficult to find that momentum and threat constantly. We knew that we had to be patient, we unlocked the game with a brilliant finish and action from the team and in particular from Zubi.
“After that, I think we didn't concede anything else in the game. We had to take the game to a different level because the game started to get a bit more open and we brought the finishers in and they were incredible.
“I saw their reaction immediately when I gave the line-up in the dressing room and I looked at Viktor and Gabi (Martinelli),” the boss added.
“They know how important their role is when you come in and some days it’s going to be even more important than starting the game. That's a key message that we've been trying to pass to them. The good thing is that they're experiencing that every single game, every three days, the way we can change games and help the team win. I'm really, really happy for them.”
Zubimendi now has six goals for the season and Arteta added: “It's a bit more than I expected, but when you are with him every single day, he really has a special intuition about when to arrive, in which area, with good timing, in and around the box. He has the quality to finish actions in different ways, with different surfaces, and today I think it was a top finish.”