Newly resolute Arsenal held clear-the-air talks after Southampton wake-up call

Per Mertesacker has revealed how Arsenal got out of their "comfort zone" to become an effective defensive team unit.

The Gunners thumped Aston Villa 5-0 on Sunday to move level with fourth-placed Southampton and just a point behind Manchester United. It was a fourth successive clean sheet in the Premier League since losing away to the Saints on New Year’s Day.

Centre-back Mertesacker revealed how the fall-out from that disappointment led to a renewed collective effort from the group to make themselves hard to breakdown, which paid dividends with a battling 2-0 win at Manchester City to help renew confidence the squad have what it takes to compete with the Premier League’s best.