Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has praised his side's "togetherness" after the Gunners beat AC Milan 2-0 away from home in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League clash.

Following a tumultuous week for the London club, which saw the Gunners lose to both Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion, the Reds were in desperate need of a win as they headed to San Siro.

Thankfully for Arsene Wenger, his charges were able to record a comfortable victory on the road, courtesy of first-half goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey in Milan, leading Xhaka to hail the team's character after the win.

"A lot of people spoke about us from the outside, but nobody knows what is inside in the team," Xhaka told the club's website after the contest. "We showed togetherness today, we showed spirit and a lot of character."

The Gunners now return to Premier League action when they face Watford at the Emirates on Sunday.