Mertesacker up to speed now at Arsenal

Per Mertesacker: 'People think it’s easy to connect with your club, your team-mates, but it takes time' (Getty Images)

Per Mertesacker believes he can go from strength to strength at the heart of the Arsenal back line despite his rocky start to the season.

"It was quite a short time for me to settle in," he said. "It was very close to the deadline so it was a tough month for me. I think in England the best players in the world are here. They have a lot of strength, a lot of speed, it doesn't compare to the Bundesliga. The technical [ability] is similar, but the speed and the physical power is different.

"If you have no pre-season with the team then that makes it more difficult. People think it's easy to connect with your club, your team-mates, but it takes time," added Mertesacker.