Per - We showed good mental strength

Per Mertesacker says Arsenal’s “great character” will help them compete at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners battled back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium, thanks to Kieran Gibbs’ second-half strike.

The point means Arsene Wenger’s side remain joint-top of the league with Manchester City, and Mertesacker believes Arsenal’s fighting spirit will be vital over the busy winter period.

“We want to be involved throughout the season, competing at the top until the last second,” he told the Final Whistle on Facebook. “We promised ourselves to do better than last season, not to drop a lot of points too early.

“It’s an interesting position but we still have room for improvement. When you look at the first half we need to manage to play a lot better. We lost our creativity and our way to play a bit, but how we came back shows that we have got a good mentality and level of character in the squad. That’s important for the Christmas period coming up.

“Santi felt unwell in the first half and that was a bit of a disappointment for us, that he couldn’t continue, but what Mathieu and Kieran gave us when they came on is what we need. It’s really important that, even if we suffer sometimes, we can come back. We showed mental strength.

“The energy and creativity those players who come on give sets the tone and gives us goals. That’s massively important. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we’ll get more energy because it’s important while having injured players.”