Arsenal Defender Per Mertesacker: 'We Have to Defend Better as a Team' After Anderlecht Draw

Per Mertesacker has claimed "every Arsenal player has to be involved to defend", suggesting the Gunners attackers are to blame for the 3-3 draw against Anderlecht during their Champions League game on Tuesday 5 November.

The north London side blew a 3-0 lead, a prospect even more frustrating as victory at the Emirates Stadium would have seen them qualify for the last 16 with two games to go.

Arsenal looked set to secure an easy victory but they let Anderlecht back into the game at 3-0, with the Belgian team clawing their way back to draw the game following a dramatic final half an hour, in which they scored three goals.

Mertesacker believes Arsenal defenders are not the only ones to blame as the whole team need to help the back-line.

"When we drop sometimes everyone has to be involved to defend. You can't afford for just five or six players to defend, or just the back four. That is what we lacked especially in the final third and in the last 20 minutes," he said, according to Standard Sport.

"We have to defend better as a team. We did not stop them [Anderlecht] playing and they are good at it. As you could see, even in the final third, when you do not put them under pressure, they can deliver good balls through the middle. They can cause trouble and we just left them playing. So in general that was the problem."

The German international believes the result will serve as a warning for the future, claiming every player should give more of themselves to avoid it happen again.

He said: "Last night is a small setback for us but it is a good warning and we will bounce back quickly. We are really good at that, we have shown that a couple of times. We still have a comfortable situation in terms of going through. We want to secure second place and we still have a big advantage after four games.

"That was a good warning last night that everyone should raise their game and give maybe 10% more when it is needed."