"Fabian (Delph) has had a bug. Fabian went into the Liverpool game (last Saturday) not feeling the best. (Goalkeeper Brad) Guzan has had a bug.
"A lot of staff have got it. The virus is going around. I don't feel 100 percent. There are a few in there that don't feel that good."
Villa, unbeaten at the start of the day and with a chance to top the league for at least 24 hours if they beat Arsene Wenger's side, were put to sword by three first-half goals in quick succession.
Strikes from Mesut Ozil, Danny Welbeck and an Aly Cissokho own goal ensured an unhappy afternoon for Lambert, who still reflected positively on an encouraging start to the campaign with 10 points from five games.
"You take your medicine. We have been beaten once in five games. There's no point in being down about it," he said after Villa slipped one place to third.
"Arsenal are clinical. To lose three goals is disappointing. But I can't sit here and say I'm disappointed with the start we've made.
"It was a tough game for us. It's a tough game when everyone is 100 percent fit. But what happened this morning, during the warm-up and at halftime, the lads were running on empty."
(Writing by Justin Palmer; editing by Ken Ferris)
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