Arsenal return to the Premier League as they host Hull City on Saturday afternoon, aiming to extend their four-game unbeaten league run

Mikel Arteta needs his Arsenal squad to raise their standards as they return to Premier League action against Hull City tomorrow. The Gunners were fortunate to escape Prague with a 2-1 win in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Gunners boss was far from pleased with his side's second-half performance against Slavia Prague. He said: "Right from the beginning of the half, we were extremely far from our standards, the basics, the concepts, and everything we discussed to avoid. It was far from what we expect from each other, but we found a way to hold onto the result and win the game."

Arteta is expecting his team to shrug off the European slump and bring their A-game to the Emirates Stadium. He also sent a pointed message about Declan Rice's fitness after he appeared exhausted in the latter stages in the Czech capital.

Here, Mirror Football has the latest headlines coming out of the red side of north London.

Three Prem players scouted

Arsenal are reportedly in the market for three of Bournemouth's key players as they target a raid on their Premier League rivals. TeamTalk claims that Marcus Tavernier, Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott are all currently on the Gunners' radar.

The report states that Arsenal have been compiling data on Tavernier as they look to strengthen the left side of their attack. The 27-year-old has scored six times in 14 games this season, showcasing his versatility across the midfield and forward line for the Cherries.

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Arsenal are long-time admirers of Scott and Kroupi, who have a combined four goal contributions this campaign. The latter is one of the club's January targets but Bournemouth are not keen to sell and they are likely to face competition from Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Scott has refused to sign a new deal with the Cherries and Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are all interested in his signature.

Arteta lays down the law to Rice

Arteta has dismissed concerns about Rice's fitness, despite the 27-year-old showing signs of fatigue in the second-half slump against Slavia Prague. While the Gunners won 2-1, the Spaniard pointed out a drop in standards in the second half where "basics" were lost by his players.

When questioned about the decision to keep the midfielder on for the full 90, Arteta said: "The game required it, and he did. He was as well rested against Fleetwood so he had a very good week to recover before Liverpool.

"It’s his second game in a week and not the fifth one. We expect our players to be able to do that and I think he had some very good moments throughout the game."

Not everybody shared this sentiment, as ex-Arsenal star Karen Carney expressed concern about the club relying solely on Rice. She told TNT Sports: "Declan Rice is by far the best midfielder in the country, for me. When he’s tired and fatigued they are a different team.

"In the second half he looked absolutely exhausted and then that’s, for me, when Arsenal are a different team and they kind of lose their way a little bit. So that’s something I’m a little bit concerned about because he’s a top player but when his energy goes I think they slightly fall apart a bit."