Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has admitted that he is surprised at the club's improvement this season.

After a poor start to the campaign, the Gunners are now fifth in the Premier League table.

When asked if he was surprised at the progress, Van Persie told the club's official wesbite: "Maybe a little bit. We had to get used to the new players [who signed at the end of August].

"I have to give lots of credit to Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen and Yossi Benayoun - great characters, really helpful in every area. When I need assistance, they are always helping me.

"Mikel, for example, played seven years at Everton, two years at Rangers and you can tell he's an experienced player. Yossi is similar, Per Mertesacker has played close to 80 times for Germany. They have really helped me."

Arsenal next host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league on Tuesday, December 27.