Gunners wary of Cardiff threat
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Arsene Wenger (AFP)
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Wenger's side head to Cardiff looking to extend their advantage at the top of the table before the rest of the main title challengers play on Sunday.
A win would move the Gunners seven points clear of second placed Liverpool, who face Hull 24 hours later, but success at the Cardiff City Stadium is far from a given for Arsenal because Malky Mackay's men have already frustrated Manchester City and Manchester United in south Wales this season.
City were beaten 3-2 in August, while United had to settle for a 2-2 draw last weekend and Wenger has no intention of underestimating the Bluebirds in Arsenal's first league fixture at Cardiff since 1961.
"They beat City at home and they played a very good game against Manchester United where possession was 50-50, so that is the challenge for us - to do better than these teams," Wenger said.
"We have the warning of their performances against the big teams, so we are in a position where we have a difficult challenge, but also a very exciting challenge because we can do better.
"Cardiff look to have good solidarity, good togetherness and fantastic support as well.
"Even on Sunday when they were 2-1 down against Man United, many teams could have thought 'okay, it is Man United, we will not come back', but you always had the feeling that they don't give up.
"You could feel that they would come back. They have that special attitude and belief in the side, and that makes them dangerous."
On Sunday, Liverpool will look to keep pace with Arsenal when they visit the KC Stadium and Reds midfielder Jordan Henderson knows his team are under pressure to take advantage of a relatively easy run of fixtures.
After facing Hull, Brendan Rodgers' team play Norwich and West Ham and Henderson said: "We are second in the league and we have to make sure we continue in the way we have started the season.
"We have had a couple of difficult away games. I think we're doing okay but we can still improve and keep pushing on."
Third placed Chelsea, behind Liverpool on goals scored, host Southampton, with Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta admitting Jose Mourinho's team need to bounce back from a lacklustre display in their midweek loss at Basel in the Champions League.
"Sometimes it happens," Azpilicueta added. "One day you play really well, three days later really bad.
"We don't want to have this kind of movement in our performance because it's important to keep your balance, to play well every day.
"Sometimes we don't keep the level to win every game. For Chelsea that cannot be possible."
Free-scoring Manchester City will look to continue their goal spree when they meet Swansea at Eastlands.
Manuel Pellegrini's fourth placed team have scored 22 goals in their last four home matches, but French midfielder Samir Nasri has warned his team-mates to focus on defence as well after a sloppy Champions League showing in a 4-2 win over Czech minnows Viktoria Plzen.
"We are scoring a lot of goals but we cannot score four goals every game," Nasri said. "We need to improve how we defend as a team."
Also on Sunday, champions Manchester United will travel to Tottenham for a clash between two teams who have under-achieved so far this season.
United are seven points behind Arsenal after slipping up against a series of supposedly inferior opponents, including a 2-2 draw at Cardiff last weekend.
David Moyes' men looked more like their dominant selves in a 5-0 rout of Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday and they will expect to keep the pressure on Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, with some reports claiming he is in danger of being sacked after a 6-0 thrashing at City on Sunday left them languishing in ninth place.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace's new manager Tony Pulis starts his reign with a crucial trip to fellow strugglers Norwich.
Fixtures:
Saturday
Aston Villa v Sunderland, Cardiff v Arsenal, Everton v Stoke, Newcastle v West Brom (1730GMT), Norwich v Crystal Palace, West Ham v Fulham
Sunday
Chelsea v Southampton, Hull v Liverpool, Manchester City v Swansea, Tottenham v Manchester United
Fixtures
30 November 2013West Ham United v Fulham, Boleyn Ground 17:00
Cardiff City v Arsenal, Cardiff City Stadium 17:00
Norwich City v Crystal Palace, Carrow Road 17:00
Everton v Stoke City, Goodison Park 17:00
Aston Villa v Sunderland, Villa Park 17:00
Newcastle United v West Bromwich Albion, St. James' Park 19:30
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United, White Hart Lane 14:00
Hull City v Liverpool, The KC Stadium 16:05
Manchester City v Swansea City, Etihad Stadium 18:10
Chelsea v Southampton, Stamford Bridge 18:10
Crystal Palace v West Ham United, Selhurst Park 22:00
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