The Gunners put themselves in a strong position to reach the Wembley showpiece with a 3-2 away victory against their London rivals in Wednesday's (14.01.26) semi-final first leg but the coach knows that his team still has work to do in next month's second leg.

Arteta said: "It is another step but it is just half-time.

"We know the big fight we are going to have at the Emirates in a few weeks' time because they are a top side."

The manager was pleased to see Arsenal keep up their winning momentum but instantly turned his attention to his team's Premier League clash at Nottingham Forest this weekend.

He said: "In 20 minutes, I'm going to start thinking about Forest, start to prepare there, and make sure everybody recovers from that. That's the routine we have. Very happy with what we have done tonight. Put it to bed and now focus on the next one.

"[It is] really good [for the momentum] because it is a really tough place to come. When you watch them live and the quality they have, how they open you up in a second with the quality they have. It is impressive. That's why I really value what the team has done again."

Viktor Gyokeres netted Arsenal's second goal and Arteta was delighted to see the Swedish striker's hard work rewarded with a first non-penalty goal since November.

The coach said: "I think he had a really good performance. Overall, I think what he brings to the team.

"It's a lot, sometimes I understand that people cannot appreciate it, we certainly do that and on top of that he got rewarded with a goal."