Wenger: Gunners miss fear factor

Arsene Wenger has admitted that the lack of fear lesser teams are showing towards his side is making wins harder to come by.

Wenger said ahead of his side’s game with Aston Villa on Saturday: “There is no complacency there – it’s just that the games are difficult for everybody.”

“There is a mental aspect too because the lower teams have lost fear because one result added to the other makes a difference. Birmingham think, ‘Look at what Sunderland have done – why should we not do it’. This leading by example certainly has an effect.”

Villa will pose a tough task for Wenger’s men, especially with the addition of a former Arsenal hero.

“I will be happy to see Robert Pires but I will ask him to be quiet during the game,” he said.

“I am not surprised Villa signed him because I saw what he has been doing in training. He is the type of player who can help any team in the Premier League, just at that age it is important you use him well at the right moment, but I am not surprised that Gerard Houllier thought about him.”

Wenger would be forgiven for being jealous of fellow Frenchman Houllier adding to his squad when injury is ravaging his own.

Cesc Fabregas is facing at least two weeks out with a hamstring injury and Emmanuel Eboue needs surgery.

“Cesc has a classic hamstring injury,” he said.

“It can be two weeks but we are in a position where we may need to be a bit more cautious with him because it is a recurrence of his hamstring problem.”

“Eboue has a medial knee ligament, grade one, that means four to six weeks.”

Wenger is refusing to let recent defeats affect his side’s confidence as they aim to get their season back on track.

“We had two big disappointments but I am confident we will not always lose games where the opponent has no chances and we dominate 90 per cent of the time,” he said.

“It’s important we keep in mind what we want to achieve, that we keep belief in what we do and we as always show great togetherness even after a disappointment like Tuesday night (in the 2-0 loss to Braga in the Champions League). I am confident we will.”

Robin van Persie could get a chance to start after a lengthy lay-off but midfielders Henri Lansbury and Aaron Ramsey have joined Norwich and Nottingham Forest on loan respectively.