Fabregas eyes win no. 2 against Chelsea

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas wants to lead his club back into the Barclays Premier League title race, after sealing a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Fabregas’ first match with the armband resulted in the 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev last night, after a week of turmoil that led to William Gallas being stripped of the captaincy.

“We showed we are united,” said Fabregas – whose next assignment is Chelsea in the league at the weekend – when Arsenal may have Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna returning from injury.

“We want to get back in the title race, so we have to win,” he added on Sky Sports News.

“But let’s not put too much pressure on Sunday’s game. We go there with confidence.”

Fabregas set up Nicklas Bendtner’s winner three minutes from time against Kiev, although there was confusion over whether the pass was a free-kick or a drop ball that should have been given back to the Ukrainians.

Gallas had a strike disallowed at the Emirates Stadium and also blocked a Robin van Persie shot that appeared to be heading on.

“I believe his focus was great,” manager Arsene Wenger said of his fellow Frenchman. “He wanted to do well, and you could see he was completely committed in the game. Overall, I feel he did well."

Wenger was pleased with Fabregas too, adding: “He was very good tonight for me - focused for 90 minutes in the game, worked hard defensively and offensively.

“It was not easy in midfield, because they closed us down very well. I expected them to go up a little bit in the second half, but they didn’t.”

Wenger believes Gallas was the victim of a “witch hunt”, after he revealed rifts in the Arsenal dressing room.

“It was based neither on the man himself nor his quality as a player but more on his blunder,” the Gunners boss told French television channel Canal+, of his punishment of the former Chelsea player.

“He didn’t intend to be malicious, but it put his team under enormous pressure. He will remain himself, and it can free him as a player if there is less pressure.”