Arsene Wenger reckons Arsenal should no longer be considered a Premier League side who play attractive football, but can't get stuck in.
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Synonymous with a swift, flowing playing-style that looks easy on the eye, but not always getting the results, Wenger's troops dug deep on Saturday to earn a 1-0 win over Stoke.
The Potters, known for their no-nonsense approach which typifies the tough-as-nails English game, couldn't break down the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.
With the north Londoners closing in on a top-four spot after a less-than-impressive first-half to the season, Wenger believes opposition teams will soon regret underestimating their new-found steeliness.
"In England you have to cope with all kinds of football without losing the quality you want to play and that is not always easy because if you have 10 Santi Cazorlas, you would have a very good technical team, but against Stoke you would struggle," he said.
"I think it is more mental preparation. You tell your central defenders you have to be ready and they are good on the second ball too, so your midfielders have to be good on the second ball, to fight for it and let you play your game.
"We played Abou Diaby at home and away against Stoke because in front of the defence he can win some headers. We are a bit more mature now, but we dealt with it well.
"In the past, we were a bit younger as well, more inexperienced. But defensively, Bacary Sagna, Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have some experience, some stature, they are not small at the back."
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