Date: 31st July 2015 at 4:18pm
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Per Mertesacker believes Arsenal are more than capable of coping with pressure, both in the upcoming Community Shield clash with Chelsea, and for the domestic campaign ahead. Mertesacker wants his side to use their recent successes at Wembley as a springboard this weekend  as well as beyond that into the Premier League season.

Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, Per said this about the sides’ mental fortitude:

“When we’ve headed to Wembley in the past, it’s generally either been for a semi-final or a final.”

“There’s always been that special tension and we could always handle that pressure. Even at 2-0 down, we always managed to deal with different situations.”

“We haven’t played Chelsea at Wembley in such a situation for a long time,” he added. “They played really well last season, they were really consistent and always defended well from the front. I think if we can learn something from Chelsea, it’s to be consistent over the whole season.”

Still, Mertesacker believes Arsenal must transition their cup success into consistency in the league, and says Arsenal have a good foundation to challenge for the title.


“You need to be consistent, especially in the league. In the cup, you can win it with six straight victories, which we managed to do twice. The hunger is still there to win a cup and to stay cup winners. The consistency over the whole season is vital. It’s what everyone wants, the players and the fans.”

“I believe we have a good base, a good structure and a good balance. We showed that in the second half of last season. We didn’t concede a lot of goals and that’s the target for the first matches, especially for the first half of the season.”

“I think the key for our success will be not suffering too many injuries and not dropping too many points at the start of the season. That way we can ensure that we remain competitors.”

He concluded, saying the shield is a good chance to lay down a marker to both Chelsea and the rest of the league, and hopefully push on when the campaign starts one week from Sunday.

“The hunger to retain the shield is still there.”

“Winning a trophy would add to the team’s confidence, especially a week before the season starts. This match shows how good, how fit the team are and it’s also a reflection of how well we’ve prepared over pre-season.”

Sounds like Per is just as fired up as we gooners our. Finally pulling one over on Chelsea would be a terrific way to start the season by all accounts, and let’s hope the lads are raring to go.

 

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