Per Mertesacker says Arsenal are “united and ready” for the busy winter period.

The Gunners currently sit fourth in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Leicester City, but play six games in December, including three times in seven days over Christmas.

It will be a tough test of their title credentials, but Mertesacker insists they are ready for the challenge ahead of their trip to Norwich City on Sunday.

“The winter period is always important to put pressure on the other teams by doing well and by getting good results,” he said. “In the Champions League, we want to get through and we go to Olympiacos. In the upcoming games, we will take it really seriously and not drop points anymore.

“Top three or four is always a good position and obviously it's tighter than last season, making it more interesting for everyone. We want to be involved until the end, that's the target.

“We've improved already from last season and that's why we are looking forward to the next couple of weeks as they are defining weeks for the team. How united can we be throughout the Premier League season and how consistent can we be? It's a challenge and a good challenge so we think we are well prepared.“We are very united, that is my feeling over the past couple of years. We always build up something and now it's time to prove we are capable of doing something. Doing great things means winning something where you need to be consistent for more than six games.

“Every Premier League team deserves credit because they do so well. You cannot go to Norwich without purpose. We need to play serious football and attack well like we diid against Zagreb, and then we have a good chance of keeping our hopes alive for the league.”