#3 Per Mertesacker shines on his first start in the whole season
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Making his first start of the entire season, Arsenal club captain Per Mertesacker displayed immense leadership and strength to keep the likes of Diego Costa and Pedro at bay throughout the game. In his presence, Arsenal’s zonal marking tactics seemed to work perfectly – any corner or dangerous looking cross being dealt with conviction
The German wasn’t holding back when it came to ground challenges, he committed to them and got all of them spot on, frustrating Costa on multiple occasions and forcing him to sky a couple of shots over the crossbar.
The defender may not be on top of the list when it comes to pace, but his game-awareness, man marking and ability to organise a defence – despite never having played in a 3-at-the-back system throughout his career – was what Arsenal crucially needed last night. The veteran German international was definitely a contender for the Man of the Match award for his timely challenges and success in zonal marking.
