Wenger prepared for Chelsea test

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Saturday's clash against Chelsea will give him a good opportunity to assess how far his side have progressed in the last month.
Arsenal had to endure a torrid start to their Barclays Premier League campaign, losing three of their first five games including a 8-2 mauling at the hands of Manchester United, as well as a 4-3 loss at Blackburn in a game which they led twice.
Wenger issues Arsenal rallying call
However, they have since won three of their last four matches, and it has been a relatively positive spell for Wenger's men barring a 2-1 loss to north-London rivals Tottenham on October 2.
And having seen a resurgence in the Gunners' fortunes, Wenger will now hope his charges can show they are still able to match it with the big guns of the league, when they travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
"I believe that we have grown as a team compared with one month ago," Wenger said on Arsenal's official website.
"Now we face the real tests of our quality and, of course, that is where we want to show that we have improved. That's what is at stake at the moment.
"A positive result would demonstrate that we are ready to compete at the top again. That is what we want to achieve of course and we will give absolutely everything to do well in this game.
"We will have a go [at Chelsea]."
Chelsea are currently third in the Premier League, six points behind leaders Manchester City, and their brand of attacking football under rookie manager Andre Villas-Boas has come as a breath of fresh air to those used to the more-defensive tactics under former boss Carlo Ancelotti.
However, Wenger has no doubts which of Chelsea's summer arrivals he has been most impressed by.
"Chelsea are up there, they have quality, and for me at Manchester United they showed that quality.
"They are a bit more creative than they were before because Juan Mata has given them something a bit more in the final third.
"They look to be in better shape than last year so it will demand a strong defensive performance on our side.
"We also need to attack them like we used to away from home."
Arsenal lost last season's encounter at Stamford Bridge 2-0, although they did exact revenge on their rivals with a 3-1 reverse at the Emirates Stadium.
 
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