Per Mertesacker: 'the way we have progressed in 2015 is absolutely fantastic and everyone wants to finish strong'

Published: 7 May, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

PER Mertesacker has hailed Arsenal’s “unpredictable” attack – but admits that sometimes even he has no idea just what his offensive team-mates are doing. 

The Gunners welcome Swansea to the Emirates Stadium on Monday night knowing that four more wins will see them take the runners-up spot behind champions Chelsea, their best league position in 10 years. 

Mertesacker has set his sights on a strong finish to the season, culminating in FA Cup glory at the end of May. “We are so unpredictable in what we are doing, even for me at the back sometimes it looks a bit weird!” said Arsenal’s stand-in skipper. 

“Sometimes we lose balance, but sometimes that’s really good so we have to keep going and focus on our game, especially defensively. 

“We want to qualify directly for the Champions League. The championship has gone but finishing in the top three would be an improvement for us from last season when we had those two qualifying matches against Besiktas, really tight ones, to secure a place in the Champions League. 

“That is the first target and then, obviously, the FA Cup – to defend our title at Wembley would be absolutely amazing. That is the focus at the minute and it looks like we are quite sharp. It demands a lot but how we keep going is really pleasing.”

Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 10 games with a 3-1 victory at Hull on Monday night, and Mertesacker believes the Gunners have made significant strides forward since the start of the season. “It was a massive win for us,” the towering defender said. 

“They are fighting against relegation at the bottom, so it was a tough occasion but it was very pleasing how we dealt with it. 

“I think that the way we have progressed in 2015 is absolutely fantastic and everyone wants to finish strong.”