Mertesacker: Petr will be a great addition for us

The 30-year old Germany and Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has backed the Gunners new shot stopper Petr Cech over his difficult start to life at the Emirates.

The 33-year old former Chelsea goalkeeper who completed his move to Arsenal earlier this summer had a nightmare Premier League debut as his two mistakes saw West Ham claim a shock 2-0 win over the Gunners on first day of the League. Mertesacker is in no doubt that the pair will build a formidable partnership as the club prepare to face Liverpool in a heavyweight clash on Monday.

"Petr is very experienced. You can feel that, he has lots of things to say and in the dressing room he gives us a great lift," Mertesacker told reporters.

"Even when we lose a game, he has some great ideas on and off the pitch. He is experienced enough to think about what went wrong, you don't have to tell him.

"My feeling is he comes back even stronger, so there is no doubt he will be a great addition for us. Even when you are experienced, sometimes mistakes happen.

"The interaction between the goalkeeper and the back four has to be top to compete in the Premier League. Sometimes it takes longer than you think. Petr came and had that understanding from the start, we both communicate well and understand each other as someone who has to talk and is really responsible.

"We match our ambitions on the pitch and so it is great to communicate with him."