Finally ready: Arsene Wenger hails resilient Arsenal after ‘shock’ start to new Premier League season

A proud Arsene Wenger praised his Arsenal side’s response to their “shock” start to the season after they climbed into the Premier League’s top three with a 4-1 rout at Hull.

The Londoners recorded three consecutive league wins for the first time since December as Alexis Sanchez scored twice and Theo Walcott and Granit Xhaka also netted at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday.

Confessing his side were not ready for the start of the campaign when they took only a point from their first two matches, Wenger said: “We had a big shock in our first game and I said straight away we faced a mental test to see how we responded to that, and I think we have responded well.

“We were not ready physically at the start of the season, but this was a convincing win.”

Sanchez has six goals in five games against the Tigers and could have claimed a hat-trick as regular penalty taker Santi Cazorla looked on, but the Chile forward saw his first-half spot-kick saved after Hull defender Jake Livermore was sent off for handball.

“I have to check that but I think Santi was at the head of the list,” Wenger said after seeing his side fail for the second time from four penalty attempts this season.