Premier League: Per Mertesacker ready for Arsenal's important December

Per Mertesacker knows Arsenal cannot afford to make any mistakes as they enter a crucial phase of the season.

Special

Meeting Swansea again will bring back happy memories for Mertesacker after the German international made his Arsenal debut against the same opposition in September 2011. The £8million signing from Werder Bremen said: "My first game last year was against Swansea, so it's always something special to face them. "They are playing well - they have good possession and are doing similarly to last year, when they were impressive. "It's important that we keep to our normal game plan and be ready to do something right from the start, especially in the final third of the pitch. "We want to get the three points. The league is getting harder every year and every opponent is getting better, so we need to keep concentrating and show exactly what we can do."