Pat Rice “We’ve turned the corner, the game on Saturday was our start of the season! We battled really hard & to be able to defend well is a high quality skill! He could try that 25, 30, 40 times & would miss! Per, from my point of view, is a terrific player! Tonight is too stressful for me, we’ve got bloody good players here!" Koscielny talks

• Arsenal No2 Pat Rice feels their draw at Borussia Dortmund is proof the squad is now coming together.

Arsene Wenger admitted he hoped for a win that would kick-start their season but, despite the late equaliser, Rice believes the draw can have the same effect.

Asked whether Arsenal have turned the corner, he said: "Very much so.

"It seemed, especially the game on Saturday, it was our start of the season.

"Because of the uncertainty as to who the players would be that leave us and whether they wouldn't. The players that we have acquired are very, very good players, contrary to what other people have said.

"I have no doubt that they will show it and in the games to come."

• Arsenal No2 Pat Rice felt they could be happy with their draw against Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

It looked as if Robin van Persie had snatched Arsenal an unlikely victory in Germany after withstanding a barrage of attacks before the home side struck a late blow.

With manager Arsene Wenger forced to watch from the stands due to a touchline ban, assistant Rice was the man charged with leading the side and he was proud of the team's effort.

"We battled really hard and we knew it would be a hard, hard game," he said. "To be able to defend well is a high quality skill and that is something all of our players did this evening.

"I shouldn't think many teams will come to Dortmund and beat them and we were very, very close to doing that.

"Don't forget Dortmund are a really good side. There is no question about that.

"Would we have liked to have won the game? Of course we would.

"We were so close and so very, very near.

"But the same thing happened to us in terms of the goal as happened when we played arch rivals Tottenham and the boy (Danny) Rose hit an unbelievable shot from about 35 yards.

"It was the same this evening. I should imagine that he could try that 25, 30, 40 times and he would hit it over the bar or at the goalkeeper. It was a great goal."

• Arsenal No2 Pat Rice was full of praise for skipper Robin van Persie after their draw at Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund.

Van Persie struck a superb opener for the visitors before they were pegged back.

"It is nothing unusual to see Robin do something like that. It was a great run from Robin and it was also a terrific ball through [from Theo]. It is unusual to see Robin hit it with his right foot but it proves that he is not just a left-footed footballer," Rice said.

"Robin is obviously the Club captain and we encourage him to be verbal both on the park and also off it, especially in the dressing room. He was just asking me one or two things that he thought we could have done better and I was just saying one or two things that we could actually do to make the team better."

• Arsenal management were pleased with Per Mertesacker's performance in their draw at Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund.

The former Werder Bremen backed up his debut against Swansea City with a calm display in Germany.

Gunners No2 Pat Rice said: "Per, from my point of view, is a terrific player. The amount of games he has played for the German national side means he cannot be a bad player.

"It is impossible. He is showing that gradually with us. I thought he was terrific tonight alongside Laurent Koscielny and I can only see him getting better and better when he gets used to the Premier League."

• Arsenal No2 Pat Rice admits he didn't enjoy not having Arsene Wenger in charge for their draw at Champions League opponents Borussia Dortmund.

Wenger was suspended for the game.

"It was extremely strange not having the manager next to me," he said. "Usually he is shouting in my ear: 'why did he do that' and 'why didn't he do that'.

"Also not to be able to be in contact with him, which is a strange decision but UEFA have their reasons why.

"Did I like it? Not really, no. It has never been one of my ambitions to be the manager of a football club.

"It is very strange. It is too stressful for me."

• Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has heaped praise on summer signing Per Mertesacker ahead of tonight’s opening Champions League group stage fixture.

The Gunners take on German Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park and Koscielny is feeling much calmer now that ex-Werder Bremen centre-half Mertesacker is in the side after a solid debut in the 1-0 league win over Swansea City on Saturday.

“He is a very good defender with a lot of experience," Koscielny said. "He is a German international, and is really important for us on the pitch.

"He is tall, which is good for our physical side. He will help me on the pitch with defensive corners.

"With Thomas [Vermaelen] it is very different. We must defend very well, and make a clean sheet more possible."