Shkodran Mustafi would rather not catch glimpses of the social media reaction when we’re below our best, but he admits it’s hard to avoid.
The defender was a towering presence at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, leading by example in defence and lending his weight in attack with the second-half equaliser in our 2-2 draw against Manchester City.
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Mustafi did not suffer defeat in any of his first 22 games for us but then lost six of his next nine. So how does he handle it?
“It is difficult, but we are professionals,” said Mustafi. “We are not only paid for playing football but to be professional as well.
“It’s part of our job to have a little bit thicker skin. But in the days that we live in now, it is difficult because you see it everywhere, on TV, then you have social media where you see a lot of things.
“Sometimes you don’t want to see it, even when you want to just text with friends or look at pictures that your family posted or whatever. You get to see pictures that maybe you don’t want to see and then you read them and it might give you a bit of thinking that you should not think about.
“But we’re professionals and we get paid for that as well, to be professional on that part as well, not only on the pitch. That’s we have to do - be professionals.
“It’s a new challenge for me,” added Mustafi. “I have been two-and-a-half years playing for Everton, but only in the reserves. So I was really looking forward to playing in the Premier League.
“At that time with Everton it was not enough, so I am really happy to come back and enjoy playing in the Premier League because I think it is the most competitive league in the world.”
More quizzes to come later this season!
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