Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Bulgarian club, Ludogorets, Arsene Wenger highlighted the importance of mental preparation.

Arsenal currently have a pretty simple run of fixtures leading up to November. Ludogorets, Middlesbrough, Reading, Sunderland and Ludogorets again. However, just because the fixtures look ‘kind’ on paper, doesn’t meant to say they will be.

“The fixtures are only as kind as you play,” Wenger said.

“What look sometimes very easy can be difficult if you don’t prepare mentally.”

Arsenal have shown more times than I’d like to remember how easily we can falter when faced with ‘easy’ opposition. We’re guilty of underestimating our opponent or assuming that we’ll win anyway, and not bothering until the final few minutes, by which time it’s too late.

How many times have we urged our players to just kill a game off?

I’d like to think that something’s changed this season but actions speak louder than words. If we’re going to show the rest of the League what we’re – hopefully – made of, we have to take maximum points from these fixtures before we move into a far more difficult November.