Arsene Wenger has admitted to being "more nervous than usual" during large parts of Arsenal's meeting with Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.

The Gunners saw their grip on the contest come under threat on numerous occasions at the Emirates Stadium, before Aaron Ramsey made certain of the points late on in the eventual 3-1 win.

Victory for Arsenal lifted them back up to second place in the Premier League and within touching distance of surprise leaders Leicester City, and Wenger was quick to praise the mental spirit shown by his side.

"I was more nervous than usual," he is quoted as saying by The Sun. "It was a very important game for psychological reasons and the fact we had not won recently and lost important players in our side. But we showed we can win.

"We were on edge in the first half against a well-organised team who were impressive on the counter-attack. But in the second half we showed our mental strength and were more incisive."

Arsenal now turn their attention to European action, with a crucial Champions League clash against Olympiacos in Athens on Wednesday evening.