Thomas Vermaelen has warned Arsenal fans not to expect too many goals from him this season as he wants to focus on winning clean sheets.

The Belgian defender made an impressive start to his Premier League career last season by scoring five times in his first eleven appearances for the Gunners - he finished the season with eight goals.

However, he's now told Arsenal fans through the club's official website that his priority is making sure the team are solid at the back.

"I know the fans are expecting goals from me and I hope I can score some this year but for me it is not the most important thing," he told Arsenal TV Online in an exclusive 'Spotlight' interview.

"It sounds silly but as a defender you are happier after a 6-0 win with the clean sheet than if you have scored one goal but you concede two.

"Maybe for some people they are not happy to hear that but for me the most important thing is to defend and to defend as a team as well, and then we will get further as a team.

"If we defend first then we can win games. After that we will see."

Vermaelen is currently on international duty with the Belgium squad who face a tough opening Euro 2012 qualifying match against Germany on Friday night.