Arsenal star Shkodran Mustafi has lifted the lid on why his partnership with Laurent Koscielny has got off to such a great start.
The German centre-back arrived at the Emirates for a fee of around £35million this summer and has impressed pundits and fans with his opening performances in the Premier League.
Mustafi and his defensive team-mate Koscielny have only conceded seven goals in the league so far this term and many are already claiming the duo may have formed the best partnership in the English top flight.
On his on-field relationship with Koscielny, Mustafi explained: ‘We are quite similar in the style of playing, he understands things that I do, I understand things that he does.
‘If you play with someone who understands football in a different way, it’s even more difficult to get on with.
‘But if you have someone next to you that sees football the same way you see football and that you think football, I think it’s easier to play with.
‘I’m happy to have someone next to me that my understanding is good with, but I think it’s not about me and Lolo, I think it’s about all of the team.
‘I think we are doing really good in the last games and obviously that gives us less to do at the back, so the few things we have to do, I think we dealt with it well.
‘But I think the credit goes to the whole team’
The Emirates side have conceded seven goals in as many league games so far this season, with five of those coming in the first three matches of the season, when Mustafi had not yet signed from Valencia.
Mustafi and Koscielny have averaged 20 defensive actions between them in the Premier League this season, including 59 clearances and 30 interceptions.
They have won all four of the matches they have played together in, keeping two clean sheets and conceding just two goals.
The Gunners will be hoping to win their sixth consecutive league match when they face Swansea at home on Saturday.
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