Having Cech around has been useful - Per

Cape Town - Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has asked the club's academy players to make the most of goalkeeper Petr Cech's vast experience and get better.

Cech, who won the Premier League title four times during his 11-year stint with Chelsea, has started all 22 league games for the Gunners this campaign, keeping 10 clean sheets, the joint-most, to help propel the club to the top spot.

"Huge experience. He has won a lot of titles, including the Premier League. He knows ... how to stay consistent and, to get information, advice and opinions from him makes us stronger," Mertesacker told the club's website.

"I realise that this is very important for a squad that is on the one hand young and talented and on the other hand has experienced players who still want to learn a lot about the game.

"Petr is vocal. He wants to speak, he wants to share that information and what a win-win situation that will be for us over the next few years. Having someone like Petr around must be very useful for the club's young players."

Arsenal host champions Chelsea, who are 14th in the table, in the league on Sunday.