Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is hoping for a repeat of the ‘quite easy’ FA Cup final victory over Premier League rivals Chelsea as the two clubs prepare to battle it out for the Community Shield, according to a report from the Evening Standard.
German defender Mertesacker was required to start the final due to Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel all being unavailable and he put in a Man of the Match performance as the Gunners went on to lift the trophy.
Mertesacker said:
No-one expected anything out of me. It was low key, quite easy. It was something I did for more than 14 years, just coming in and believing in my game. I know the trust of the players and the boss in me was huge that day. A lot of fans were surprised with the line-up we played but the way we played and the way we looked was good. But that’s easy, it’s just one game. I need to prepare so I can do that more regularly.
The 32-year-old is entering his final season as an Arsenal player before he starts his new role as the manager of the academy.
The defender claims that he is enjoying every minute of his remaining time as a player and hopes that his final campaign is filled with success.
