ARSENE WENGER spoke of beleaguered players gaining "reassurance" at qualification in the Champions League, though they must now muster resilience. Victory over Dynamo Kiev secured progress into the knockout phase of Europe's elite competition with a game to spare but this team are charged with reviving a stuttering Premier League campaign across the capital at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
"Our target is to go to Chelsea and win," admitted Cesc Fabregas. "This is a chance to claim some points back."
Such has been Arsenal's sloppy league form of late that they must treat this weekend's daunting trip as an opportunity. The stirring victory over Manchester United earlier this month has virtually been forgotten. That is the only league game won in the last five outings, three of which have been lost with Aston Villa and Manchester City prevailing too comfortably.
A deficit of 10 points from the summit must be shaved off by beating the leaders if the title challenge Wenger and his senior players insist is still viable is to be truly revived.
Fabregas, newly appointed as captain and with his first objective - progress in the Champions League - now achieved, recognises as much. The Spaniard is remarkably level-headed for a man of 21, his focus fixed solely on securing this club its first major silverware since the FA Cup was claimed on penalties against Manchester United in 2005.
"To lift a trophy," said the midfielder when asked what his target is this season. "At the end of the campaign, we will see what we can achieve but, at the moment, we are into the last 16 in Europe and still in every competition. People can say whatever they want about the title race, but we have only played 14 games so far.
"It is not over yet. It is up to us to finish where we will finish. At the moment, nothing is done and we will fight until the end. This weekend is an opportunity. The other teams have difficult games as well, so we will see. We must recover from this game against Kiev, get some good training sessions under our belt, and then address the Chelsea match.
"They have been playing really well. The times I have watched them, they have played good football with quick combinations. I respect them a lot. But we will not go there looking to draw. Arsenal never go anywhere looking only to draw. We go to Chelsea seeking a win."
Wenger has insisted that, should Arsenal win their matches against Chelsea, United and Liverpool, then the defeats they have suffered to perceived lesser sides might not prove so damaging.
The Londoners have been beaten five times already this term, losing at two of the three promoted sides who have cluttered midfield, disrupted Arsenal's rhythm and capitalised on defensive frailties. Yet their only brush with the established top four, against United, resulted in victory.
An open game at Chelsea should offer both sides the opportunity to thrive, with the visitors clinging to the hope that Bacary Sagna, Emmanuel Adebayor and Samir Nasri will all prove their fitness to play. Certainly, Arsenal can take heart from a timely return to winning ways.
"After what I saw against Kiev, we are back on track," said Fabregas. "It was a win, we kept a clean sheet, we created chances, we had a lot of injuries and we responded well. That's the most important thing.
"Europe is a different game to the Premier League. All the teams in the Premier League know they have to defend a lot. They are pressuring us all the time and it looks like all week they just train on defending. The Champions League is different - teams try to play a bit more, try to come out a bit more. Maybe it's true that Europe suits us a little bit more, but if you want to win something you have to be able to play against anybody. We have to play as a team and when we play good, quick passing, we can play against anybody."
They will need to be at their upbeat best to prevail at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal made progress off the pitch yesterday, confirming the appointment of Ivan Gazidis, the former deputy commissioner of Major League Soccer, as their new chief executive.
The club's chairman, Peter Hill-Wood, suggested the 44-year-old's arrival represented something of a coup. If that is to be mirrored by similar advances on the pitch, then the momentum generated by a welcome victory on Tuesday must be maintained at Chelsea's expense.
