Arsenal

Per Mertesacker: 'Arsenal can mount title challenge'

By Liam Power, Reporter | 15 July 2013

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker backs his side to mount a title challenge if they can maintain a consistent run of form next season.

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has insisted that his side have the quality to mount a title challenge if they can find a way to stay consistent next season.

The Gunners are aiming to end an eight-year trophy drought in the upcoming campaign, and the German international believes that with a few additions the current crop are capable of giving Arsenal fans a season to savour.

"In general, I would say that consistency is the most important thing. If we can do that, then we should be challenging for trophies and titles," the Daily Mail quotes him as saying.

"We had such a strong finish at the end of the season, especially in the last 10 games. We put out a good team with great spirit and that is the target for the whole season. We must be well prepared, both mentally and physically, to do it straight from the off. It's very hard to be consistent."

"We haven't sold any players yet so we are coming from a good base at the moment, we're at a good level and no-one is leaving at the moment.Maybe someone will come and strengthen our squad so it's a better position than last summer when we lost two important players [Robin van Persie and Alex Song]."

Arsene Wenger's side started their pre-season tour of the Far East in style yesterday, thrashing an Indonesia XI with seven unanswered goals.