Bengaluru, May 2: Manchester City defensive midfielder Fernandinho has hailed his team's assistant coach and former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta for helping him to improve this season and also for urging him to resist Arsenal's interest to stay at City.

Arteta joined the backroom staff of City two years ago after retiring from playing for Arsenal and has recently been touted as the next manager to replace Arsene Wenger at his former club. And Fernandinho who has been one of the best midfielders in Premier League this season plus as per Guardiola 'one of the best three holding midfielders in the world', has now claimed coach Arteta's helping hand is the major reason behind his sensational form this season and he will be sad to see him leave.

"One of the positive things about Pep is that he is so close with his staff -- they support him in every situation, and we as players have huge contact with them," he told reporters.

"For me, especially Mikel Arteta, because he played in the same position as I play. So sometimes I have private chats with him to correct some positioning, or something that is wrong.

"All the people are behind Pep and it is fantastic. That is why we are a very good team -- it's not just the players and the manager, but also the staff. Mikel has helped to improve me a lot this season, with his advice."

The 32-year-old has played an enormous 45 matches through this season and endured injury just once in the whole campaign. The Brazilian along with his superb interception skills and defensive mettle this term also showed his worth in the offensive third ad till now has already registered four goals and five assists in this campaign.

However, the player sadly has missed out from the Premier League team of the season. But the player insisted the exclusion does not disturb him and he is delighted to see fellow midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva being in the PFA team of the year.

"It doesn't bother me," he said. "It's a pleasure to play with them because they have so much quality. They play good, simple football and made the difference for us this season, making and scoring the goals.

"I just do my job, controlling the counter-attacks and give them some passing. But they deserve all the credit that goes to them."

Fernandinho will collect the premier league winners medal for the second time this season after winning it earlier with former boss Pellegrini in 2014 under whom he joined Manchester City back in 2013 from Shakhtar Donetsk for €32 million.