Per Mertesacker admits Arsenal's 'confidence is shot' and he is 'struggling' after Germany's World Cup triumph

Gunners were far from convincing despite 2-1 win at Anderlecht last night

Per Mertesacker looks on in Brussels last night

Per Mertesacker had admitted that Arsenal are suffering from a lack of confidence at the moment, and he himself is struggling for form in the aftermath of Germany's World Cup triumph in Brazil this summer.

Speaking after Arsenal's lacklustre 2-1 win at Anderlecht in the Champions League last night, Mertesacker, who is currently captaining the side in Mikel Arteta's absence, also revealed that the Gunners' "passing game is off".

"Everyone knows that it was a difficult start for us and our confidence is not that much how we wanted it. The character is good, the mentality is good but football-wise, we lack a few things.

"Our passing game is not as efficient as last year. We are not at our best. We have to admit that, be honest with ourselves and train harder."

Arsenal have won only six of their last 15 matches in all competitions, a period that Mertesacker has described as "dangerous".

The 30-year-old also added that he found it strange joining up with his Arsenal team-mates after the season had began, after being given an extended leave after the World Cup.

"For me, it is difficult at the moment because that was really a long season last year and to come back from that World Cup and get the motivation back… I am nearly back but you can feel there is something missing.

"With those games, the belief and the mentality is there but the motivation will come back. We didn’t even have time to celebrate (the World Cup win) properly, that was the first thing. But you realise month after month what happened. Maybe in five or 10 years you can really realise what was going on there. We came back to Berlin, got on the stage, waved our hands, showed the World Cup and then everyone disappeared to their families to get some holidays, some rest, calm.

Per Mertesacker celebrates the World Cup triumph in Berlin (Getty Images)

"That was really difficult, to get into a proper holiday. The restart is more in your head than anything else. That was really a problem. But I am happy not to have picked up an injury yet and I am confident that I have already been through the dangerous period. I am really happy that I am fit and ready for the proper fight during the winter period.

“It is harder mentally because I started literally when the season started. I have never experienced that. It is at least two or three weeks before the season started, usually, but we had already won a cup, the Community Shield, and I wasn’t there at that time, I was still on holiday. That was something really strange for us to think about.”