Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger poured yet more praise on match winner Alexis Sanchez after the Chilean snatched a dramatic late winner in a crucial 1-0 success against Southampton at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners closed the gap on third-placed Saints to just three points after their thrilling triumph, with Wenger suggesting Sanchez -- who has netted nine goals in 13 games -- has adapted quicker to English football that he dared imagine he would after his 35 million pound move from Barcelona last summer.
"It's difficult to find examples of people who have settled so quickly," Wenger told reporters. "My memory is not perfect but quicker, you cannot [think of anyone who has started so well in the Premier League].
"We are in December and he arrived in July -- when you look at the number of goals and the impact he has on the team, it's fabulous.
"He was one of the players who had to dig in [against Southampton], but he still has such a desire to fight, which is why he always finds something special to get the goal."
Wenger suggested fatigue was a factor in his side's performance on the back of a hectic few days that has seen them record a vital Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund and a tense 1-0 Premier League win against West Bromwich Albion last Saturday.
"This was a vital result because it was difficult for us to keep going from the start of the game because we've given a lot against [Borussia] Dortmund and on Saturday -- today was the third game in seven days," he reflected.
"You could see that we had to dig deep. We played against a good team who are very well organised and play very quick on the counter-attack. For us it was important not to be exposed on the counter-attack and to keep a clean sheet.
"We had to be patient and wait for our chances and you could see in the last 20 minutes that they started to suffer a little bit physically and that we created openings. I think we deserved to win because we created more chances than Southampton."
The Arsenal boss was also quick to insist Southampton remain a team worthy of respect in the top half of the Premier League despite their second high profile defeat in as many games, as he suggested Ronald Koeman's side tested Arsenal to the full.
"Don't bury them too quickly," added Wenger when commenting on Southampton's efforts. "They are a good side and they played very well. Up front they are quick to come out when they win it, they are always first on the ball and they play in a very intelligent way. You always feel they are a threat."