Per Mertesacker has admitted that Arsenal must find a way to start the season strongly after coming up short in the Premier League once again.

Despite picking up more points than any other side in 2015, the Gunners were unable to prevent Chelsea from easing to the title, and Mertesacker claims that their form in the early stages of the campaign were not good enough.

"How we finish season after season is fantastic but we have to be sharp from the start of the season. That is what we lack," the German told reporters. "The points we dropped at the start of the season were 10 or 11 points and that gap we could not close.

"We were consistent in 2015, but Chelsea did not drop many points. When we look at ourselves, we feel we have made progress."

Arsenal are back in action against Swansea City on Monday night.