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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has sent a heartfelt message to Thomas Frank after the Dane was sacked by the Gunners' arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Arteta held his press conference on Wednesday - just hours after Spurs announced they would part ways with their head coach. The first match for whoever succeeds Frank will be the North London Derby against Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this month.

That fixture is two matches away for the Gunners, with a trip over to Frank's former club, Brentford, on Thursday before their rearranged fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux next Wednesday. Arteta has now spoken before they play the Bees.

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During a press conference, he said: "Well, always very sad news when you have a colleague that doesn't continue doing his job, because Thomas is an excellent coach, he's an extraordinary man as well, and he's proven that in the league.

"We know where we are. We know that our responsibility is beyond just performance. That sometimes results dictate what happens with us. We wish him all the very best for whatever he decides to do next."

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Arteta spoke at length about his admiration for Frank before playing his Brentford team in April last year. Asked how much he respects him, the Arsenal manager said: "A lot. More than respect, probably it's admiration.

"He's done it with a football club where everybody shares the vision, they have a very clear identity. It's a club, a team that we can learn a lot from because the way they did it is very, very clever, in my opinion, and then the way the model has sustained and evolved as well is really well timed."

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Frank also spoke highly about Arsenal and Arteta in November. He said: "I think it's a good example of a club that sticks to the process.

"I know it's me in charge, but there are so many more people working, and sticking to what we believe in over a longer period. I think six years, it's very rare you get that long in football.

"I also think it's fair to say that it took probably three seasons for Arteta. So in the fourth season, that's where he competed, now he's in the seventh season. So he's really, really ready to compete in his fourth season. So he took over, then two full seasons, and then the fourth one.

"So I think that's how you should see it. And then we know the difference between having ultimate success to win something or not is like this, and you need margins. But the process is the most important thing."

Frank was one day short of eight months in the job before being sacked. He won 13 of his 38 matches, drew 11, and lost 14.

The last of those defeats, to Newcastle United on Tuesday, left Tottenham 16th in the Premier League table. They are five points clear of the relegation zone.