Wenger: Turn up the heat

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger remains confident his side can reach boiling point over the next 10 games and force their way back into the Premier League title race.

The Gunners head to Sunderland today in seventh place after five draws have left them nine points behind leaders Chelsea, who are away to Manchester United tomorrow.

Only a dramatic late recovery, with two goals in the final two minutes, secured victory in the Champions League at Anderlecht on Wednesday night.

Wenger accepts his side need to add an efficiency to their game at both ends of the pitch, but feels it will all come together over the next few weeks.

“The main thing is there, the attitude and the quality, but water boils at 100 Degrees and not at 99, so we have to add that degree,” said Wenger.

“I look at how we can be more efficient, that is my only worry. We dominate our games. It is just that when we have a weaker moment we pay for it, which is why we have to produce more effort defensively. If we are more efficient in 10 games’ time, then we will be in a much better position, so let’s start tomorrow (at Sunderland).”

Wenger insists it is too easy just to lay all of the blame on a backline which has been hampered by injuries, with centre-back Laurent Koscielny set to be out for at least a month with an Achilles injury.

“Last year we had 17 clean sheets and at the moment, we have only had one after eight (Premier League) games, so that is something which we are not on the same level defensively,” said Wenger.

“It is improving by getting everybody to put a bit more effort in to the defensive work, and that starts not only at the back, but up front and in midfield by increasing the level of defensive activity through the team,” says Wenger.

“We train very hard and the spirit is right, the attitude is here. I believe more it is linked with confidence at the moment, but I cannot fault the attitude.

“It (the win at Anderlecht) will help to improve confidence and I am sure that if we focus on our performance, the rest will come naturally.”

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is set to return having served a one-match European ban in midweek.

Wenger feels the 24-year-old has continued his improvement but warns the Pole faces a “big fight” to stay number one ahead of Colombian David Ospina, who is currently sidelined by injury, and Emiliano Martinez, the 22-year-old Argentinian who did not look out of place standing in against Anderlecht.

“One of the problems he had recently (was coming out of his goal), but I don’t think it is a deep problem,” Wenger said of Szczesny.

“I want him to come out, I encourage him to come out, but overall he is doing well and is improving always.

“Wojciech is (an) important (player), but he is in a big fight with Ospina and Martinez, I think that will keep him on his toes.”

England forward Theo Walcott is close to a comeback from the serious knee injury which ruled him out of the World Cup.

Wenger, though, feels Walcott — who could play for the Under-21s again this weekend — needs a few more “kicks” before returning to the first team.

“He has a game that exposes him and he needs to feel completely confident, but he is not far,” said Wenger.

“Theo has to get used to contact again. He has been out for nine months, it was a big injury and it takes time to settle, to get used to being kicked again. Fitness-wise, Theo is there, but to play a part in the game on the contact front I think he needs a little bit more time.”

Wenger believes Walcott deserves great credit for the way he has handled his rehabilitation.

“For what he has gone through in the last nine months, you gain even more respect for him, because he had some difficult times and always responded very positively,” Wenger said.

Arsenal head to Wearside with just one league defeat, but down in seventh place, 11 points off leaders Chelsea.

Wenger knows to expect an easy ride at the Stadium of Light, irrespective of Sunderland’s last result.

“When you go to Sunderland, you know to always expect commitment and fight for 90 minutes and we have to prepare ourselves for that,” Wenger said.

“The result from last week will certainly have dropped their confidence and increased their resolve to defend well, and then you can get very few openings, so it is up to us to just focus on our own performance.”

Gus Poyet admits he would love to be pulling on his boots against Arsenal tomorrow as Sunderland attempt to exorcise the ghost of their Southampton 8-0 nightmare.

Poyet said: “I would love to be playing on Saturday.

“It’s the perfect game to go in there and put in the biggest effort you can put in on a football pitch and show that whatever happened happened and that’s it, and now we are moving on.”