Flamini lauds Arsenal’s defensive maturity

Arsenal had to be patient against the Cottagers before eventually sealing all three points through a second-half brace from Santi Cazorla.

The victory, Arsenal's sixth in a row in all competitions, ensured they remained top of the Premier League, one point above Manchester City.

“We were strong defensively and we have a lot of quality offensively,” Flamini, who rejoined Arsenal on a free transfer in August, told the club's official website.

“The team is very mature, very strong and we showed great character because we pushed and pushed during the whole game and got the goals in the second half.

“It is very important to be defensively strong and stay balanced because at the end of the year, the teams who have the possibility to win things are the teams who are strong defensively.

“[The victory] was a collective effort, we defended well together and attacked very well together, so it was a great performance from the whole team.”

Arsene Wenger’s men have the best defensive record in the division this season having conceded just 19 goals - seven fewer than this time last year.