ARSENAL are not just the champions of England, they are also championing England.

The Gunners have more players in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad than any other team and their five representatives are more than the rest of the traditional ‘Big Six’ combined.

Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ben White, Ezri Konsa and Eberechi Eze all got the nod from Tuchel.

Only Everton, with three players, come close to the Gunners, and Arteta could have had even more of his players heading to St George’s Park.

Noni Madueke was a surprise omission from the squad, particularly on the back of a host of impressive performances in the absence of Bukayo Saka.

Tuchel claimed Madueke was “very close” and a “difficult decision.”

Saka, who remains injured through a quad issue, would almost certainly have made the grade if he was fit and available too.

Mikel Arteta knows how important keeping an English core is to success and to fostering a relationship with his fanbase.

He said: “There is something that has to be within you, in your veins, in your roots. You don’t have it or you don’t.

“When you are from here, you are so attached because we signed some players as well that have been Arsenal supporters since they were kids and that has a different meaning.

“You can become one, which is great and we have a few of them, but when it’s already there in your DNA it’s even more powerful and for me that’s very, very important.”

In terms of number of first-team players, this is the most English squad that Arsenal have had in 25 years and Arteta has made a conscious effort to make it that way.

Asked if he had purposefully signed English players, he said: “Yes, for sure. Then you have to put that into the whole eco-system of the club.

“And the dressing room to make sure that you are going to build those relationships, those personalities and the leadership within that to achieve what we want. But that is certainly done with a lot of thought.”

Arteta was playing for Arsenal when Arsene Wenger tried to create a similar ‘British Core’ in 2012, turning a leaf on his traditionally European-led sides.

Wenger handed long-term contracts to Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and said they would be the “basis” of the squad going forward.

Arteta remembers those five players penning their deals and Wenger speaking of their importance to the squad.

The Spaniard added: “I remember a picture here of all of them together. So I do remember and Arsene used to talk about that [importance] and I think it is so true.”

Arteta will be hoping he has the next generation of English talent in his squad too, not just those players already making an impact for club and country.

Max Dowman, currently suspended from domestic action following his red card at Fleetwood, received his first call-up to Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 squad despite still being 16.

Ethan Nwaneri and Tommy Setford will also play for the U21s, while Marli Salmon has been selected for the U18s and could make his debut for the age group.