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Arsenal 'can handle pressure' of playing Chelsea in the Community Shield, says Mertesacker

Per Mertesacker
Image: Arsenal centre-back Mertesacker is looking forward to playing Chelsea at Wembley this weekend

Per Mertesacker says Arsenal are relishing taking on Premier League champions Chelsea in Sunday’s FA Community Shield.

The FA Cup holders face Jose Mourinho's side at Wembley knowing that a positive result against their London rivals will give them a huge boost in confidence heading into the new season.

And Mertesacker claims Arsenal enjoy the pressure that comes with playing big matches at the home of football.

"When we've headed to Wembley in the past, it's generally either been for a semi-final or a final," he told Arsenal's official website.

"There's always been that special tension and we could always handle that pressure. Even at 2-0 down, we always managed to deal with different situations."

Mertesacker, though, believes Arsenal need to be as consistent as Chelsea were in the league last season if they are to challenge the champions when the new campaign gets underway.

"We haven't played Chelsea at Wembley in such a situation for a long time," he added. "They played really well last season, they were really consistent and always defended well from the front. I think if we can learn something from Chelsea, it's to be consistent over the whole season.

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Image: Arsenal need to show consistency over a whole campaign to win the league, unlike when winning last season's FA Cup, says Mertesacker

"You need to be consistent, especially in the league. In the cup, you can win it with six straight victories, which we managed to do twice. The hunger is still there to win a cup and to stay cup winners. The consistency over the whole season is vital. It's what everyone wants, the players and the fans."

However, the Germany international defender is confident the Gunners are now ready to make a sustained bid for the title given their impressive run of form after Christmas last season, particularly at the back.

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"I believe we have a good base, a good structure and a good balance," he said. “We showed that in the second half of last season. We didn't concede a lot of goals and that's the target for the first matches, especially for the first half of the season.

"I think the key for our success will be not suffering too many injuries and not dropping too many points at the start of the season. That way we can ensure that we remain competitors.

"The hunger to retain the shield is still there. Winning a trophy would add to the team's confidence, especially a week before the season starts. This match shows how good, how fit the team are and it's also a reflection of how well we've prepared over pre-season."

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