Arsenal ‘cannot afford to rest on their laurels’

ARSENE WENGER has warned Arsenal not to risk their title chances by resting on the laurels of their 16-game unbeaten league run against Chelsea this afternoon.

Wenger was also not about to indulge in some public mind-games with Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of such a vital fixture, with Arsenal able to extend their lead over the Blues to nine points with victory.

Although Ferguson claimed that the Gunners' 25-game unbeaten league run could prove a "burden" to them over the coming weeks, Wenger was not about to lose his focus on what really mattered.

"We just want to win our next game. We have enough experience to know that what is important is what we do and not what other people say. What we do is to produce on the pitch."

It was 16 games ago on September 30, 1995, that Chelsea last beat the Gunners in a Premiership fixture, courtesy of a single Mark Hughes goal.

Wenger has a number of injury problems for the game, with Ashley Cole, Ray Parlour, Sylvain Wiltord and Jeremie Aliadiere all ruled out, while Martin Keown is suspended. However, Thierry Henry and Sol Campbell should both be fit, while Fredrik Ljungberg and Gilberto may come through fitness tests. Jose Reyes is nevertheless in contention for another starting role after scoring twice against Chelsea in last weekend's FA Cup fifth round victory. Wenger's opposite number Claudio Ranieri concedes another Arsenal triumph putting them nine points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table will be the end of the Blues' title ambitions. And that is more pressure on his job after the west London club's new chief executive Peter Kenyon made it clear that a season without silverware, following new owner Roman Abramovich's massive £120m investment, must be considered a failure.

But Ranieri has put the onus on his players to perform, recalling last week's cup-tie surrender after they were a goal ahead, as "not good at all." Damien Duff, has still not recovered from an Achilles tendon injury while £16.8m Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo, is ruled out with a high temperature. But defiant Ranieri, who could have hardman Geremi back in action from African Nations Cup duty, insists: "This is another match and another competition. I am sending a team out telling them to play like they did in the first half at Highbury. It is our home ground and we will have 42,000 people behind us. We know Arsenal are a very good team but so are Chelsea. My satisfaction at beating Arsenal would only be to see us closing the gap to three points on them. That could keep us in the race with them and Manchester United.

"I don't know if they can stay unbeaten in the league all season because a team needs luck to do that."