Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is enjoying his first festive period in England.

While his former Werder Bremen team-mates are now spending time off, Mertesacker is more than happy to continue playing through.

He said: "This time of year is a strange situation for me! I spoke to some of my ex-Werder Bremen team-mates recently and they have two-and-a-half weeks off now.

"But I'm very glad to be here over the Christmas period and New Year - you get used to the English ways and it's a special thing about the football here.

"My family will be over, so it's fine. It's very nice to have family that is very close to you and wants to give support in every situation. And besides, spending Christmas and New Year in London is not so bad!"