The two players were handed their debuts in the win over Southampton.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told the club’s official website that new signings Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez were shocked by the pace and commitment of the Premier League.
The Gunners boss handed debuts to both of his new signings for the clash with Southampton on Saturday.
It proved to be a happy debut for them as a late Santi Cazorla penalty saw their new side to victory.
Mustafi was impressive in the centre of defence alongside Laurent Koscielny although Perez struggled to make his mark on the game.
Southampton’s Nathan Redmond in action with Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi
They will both likely improve as they become accustomed to the Premier League, and Wenger has admitted the pace and the commitment of the division shocked them.
“I feel both are short [of fitness] a bit, they lack competition and their second half was much better than their first half,” he told the club’s official website.
“They were a bit surprised by the pace and the commitment of the Premier League [but] they will adapt to that. As well, they were a bit on their nerves in the first half. In the second it was much better.”
Arsenal’s Lucas Perez
It now remains to be seen if both do improve significantly as the season progresses.
Mustafi did not appear to be having too many problems adjusting but his previous experience with Everton may have helped in that regard.
Perez did struggle, although that was perhaps down to his teammates not being accustomed to him as much as it was him not being familiar with the league.
Both of those things will improve with time, and it would certainly be unwise to write him off at this early stage.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
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