German defender: football-wise, we lack a few things
Mertesacker struggling to re-focus after World Cup
Podolskis late strike gives Arsenal win over Anderlecht
Wenger admits his big gamble paid off
Per Mertesacker has offered a candid and damning assessment of Arsenals shortcomings this season, saying that the intricate passing game is misfiring, there are issues at the back and the collective confidence is low. The centre-half also admitted that he is struggling to refocus on a personal level after his exertions for Germany in their World Cup triumph.
Arsenal dodged a bullet at Anderlecht on Wednesday night, when they scored twice in the last minute to sneak a fortunate 2-1 win that kept them on course to qualify from Champions League Group D. But the teams problems were clear, with arguably the most worrying being the poor quality of their passing.