Wenger calls for patience with new Arsenal signing Perez

“They have settled very quickly and very well, so the real test is the games”, he said.

“Arsene Wenger was my trainer during seven years at Monaco”, Puel said. The Arsenal manager will be well aware of the dangers they pose and will be looking to ensure that his side continue the little bit of momentum they’ve managed to build on either side of the global break.

The Spaniard, a 17.1 million pound ($23M) signing from Deportivo La Coruna in August, made his debut for the club in a 2-1 win over Southampton on Saturday.

He told reporters: “We know from experience that on these kinds of dates, most of the time it is the big players who make the difference and that is what we want to see”.

Fonte is not the first player to be penalised for grappling in the penalty box this season, with Ryan Shawcross and Raheem Sterling both giving away soft penalties in Manchester City’s 4-1 victory over Stoke City on August 20.

Who exactly partners with him will be interesting. With good players on the pitch … it’s a positive.

“Many players can be disturbed by different solicitations and it’s important now to work with good concentration”.

Southampton manager Claude Puel claimed it is easy for referees to award penalties against his team after the Saints suffered late heartbreak away to Arsenal on Saturday.

“He is very loyal to Olivier Giroud, but also recognises that if you have lots of passers of the ball in your side you need to give them time and options by stretching the play”.

Alex Iwobi is set to return after recovering from the hip injury he suffered against Liverpool, but Aaron Ramsey is expected to again miss out with a hamstring problem.

Despite being boosted by that cracking Koscielny effort, Arsene Wenger’s men struggled to break down an organised Saints side.

“I feel both are short (of fitness) a bit”.

Having been robbed of many of his stars names for pre-season due to Euro 2016, he just lost them again for a fortnight’s global break, which has made tactical improvements and preparation even harder.

“I will see a little bit what strengths and weaknesses come out of the two teams”.