Petr Cech has insisted that Arsenal will not be bullied after losing 2-1 to Everton on Tuesday night.

The goalkeeper stepped up to speak after the match, which saw the Gunners lose for only the second time this season.

The game was physical, with Mark Clattenburg, who usually tends to be pretty decent, letting smaller fouls go unpunished earlier on, which led to bigger challenges as the game progressed.

Ronald Koeman had clearly told his players to get on Mesut Ozil’s back, which wasn’t helped by the fact that the playmaker was having a bad day at the office, and they could be seen pushing him and poking at him at half time as the teams went down the tunnel.

Cech insists, however, that Arsenal cannot be bullied.

“No [we cannot be bullied],” Cech said.

“But we played well with the ball and we didn’t give them chances. Second half, obviously with the goal they came back into the game and in the Premier League it’s very difficult. You can’t control games for 90 minutes, there will be moments where the opponents will show their quality. Today, although they were not dangerous for most of the game, they found two goals and in the end you go home with a defeat. But you have to pick yourself up.

“There is a big period coming up now with the games coming thick and fast and there is no time to dwell on the defeat. You have to move on and get ready for the next one.”

It’s a tactic many employed when Jack Wilshere was still a started at Arsenal. He’s hot-headed and, therefore, the opposition would pick at him, kicking him about, pushing his buttons. And it worked.

Ozil, however, is a different player and should be able to harness this aggression for good. Hopefully, he’s back to his best against Manchester City on Sunday.