Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson has warned his side that they cannot allow themselves to fall into a habit of starting games slowly.
The Gunners have conceded the first goal in back-to-back matches against Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, forcing them to come from behind in order to rescue draws in both.
Jenkinson stressed the importance of getting the first goal, but also believes that the current crop of players have the character to recover from falling behind.
"To go behind against a team of [PSG's] calibre and then to come back... we have got a lot of character in this squad and we are showing it time and time again and on another day we win [against PSG], so it is frustrating but that is football," he told reporters.
"(Starting slowly) has happened a couple of times of late. I think at Man United we especially didn't start at our best and against PSG similarly. It is something we have got to be aware of because it has happened a couple of times lately.
"It makes a big difference, not just at this level but in the Premier League as well. You look at the stats and whoever scores the first goal, they generally go on to win the game. We have let that drop a bit lately and if we get the first goal, nine times out of 10 we win and we need to get back to doing that."
Arsenal, who have now drawn their last three games in all competitions, will host Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Barney Corkhill
