Per Mertesacker has challenged his Arsenal team-mates to step up their efforts to keep the Gunners top of the table.
German international defender Mertesacker captained Arsenal to a 2-1 triumph over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.
Goals from Serge Gnabry and Aaron Ramsey sealed the victory which keeps Arsene Wenger’s side as league leaders but Mertesacker says they can add even more effort to their performances.
He said: “I can feel that everybody wants it and everybody is capable of doing more than usual so you can feel the special team spirit at the moment.
“We lost a lot of players at the start of the season and we have to replace four good wingers who can make the difference but you can see Serge Gnabry stepped in and scored his first goal for Arsenal.
“Aaron Ramsey is stepping in all the time and you can see how everyone celebrates together, there is a proper mentality building up that we can be proud of. That’s our momentum and we need more of that.”
And Mertesacker says his understanding with Laurent Koscielny is improving in every game.
He added: I have a good opinion about him and our partnership at the moment is a good one but we have to keep proving that.”
Meanwhile, his central defensive partner has reiterated how important constant communication is at the heart of the back four.
He said: “Per is a good partner, we talk a lot on the pitch and it’s very important for a centre back to speak a lot and communicate with our midfield. We won and we are happy with this.”
Next up, Arsenal face Napoli at the Emirates in the Champions League tomorrow night.
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