Kieran Gibbs and Per Mertesacker spoke to the media after Arsenal's 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.
Read on for a transcript of what they had to say.
Kieran Gibbs:
on Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal and performance…
Alex is a fantastic player and he just needs games. He's showing what he can do now and his end product is what he wanted to work on. Now it's time we see it and the results are paying off for him. He's a good professional and an amazing talent.
on getting four draws this season…
We want to change them into wins and the team is working hard to do that. I think [we will] if we keep knocking on the door like we have been in the last few games.
on the draw…
It was important not to lose because of the history of this game. They defended very well in the end, I'm not sure how they managed to hold on but they certainly did and we gave everything so we have to take the positives from the game and move on to the next one. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. We need to keep doing what we're doing to create good chances and I'm sure that we will.
Per Mertesacker:
on the game…
We lost two key players in the first half and it was more than a blow. We fought until the end, especially in the second half when they dropped. When they took the lead it was very difficult but we came back in a good way, not in a remarkable way. It could have been a bit more but overall they deserved a point because they defended well.
on Calum Chambers…
We knew we would need every single player when Mathieu Debuchy got injured and he stepped in and has done a remarkable job. He’s a good talent and we always try to force him to push up and go forwards. He’s a great talent and he showed that today as well.
on whether getting a point will give Arsenal a boost…
We know that we have good team spirit in the dressing room so we have to show it on the pitch. Today we showed it in a good way but I think we can do better, much better. Overall it was a good performance and I think confidence is getting back.
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