'This season is about how much we make of our potential'
Don't dare tell Arsène Wenger his side can't win the title this season.Ahead of the trip to Fulham on Saturday, one reporter ventured to suggest that, after two defeats, Arsenal were merely playing for a Champions League position before the September sun had even left North London.
It brought the darkest of clouds to Wenger's mind.
"How can you say that after five games?" the manager snapped back. "We feel confident that we have a strong chance to do it. Everybody will drop points and the most important thing is to be consistent and win our next game."
The Frenchman has had to defend his side ever since those back-to-back defeats in Manchester. Morally, the manager argues they have not got their due after a teak-tough start to the campaign.
"What you forget is that in our first four games we played at Everton, Man City and Man United," he went on. "Places where everybody can drop points.
"But since then we have won away from home in the Champions League plus we have beaten West Brom and Wigan.
"We came out of the two [defeats] to Man City and Man United with a feeling that we have a massive potential. This season is about how much we make of our potential not how good we are.
"We want to transform our potential into a realistic option to win the Premiership.
"We certainly should not come out of the game with Manchester United, for example, with any inferiority complex. We should have frustration because we lost the game and congratulations to Man United about that. But certainly we have not a feeling we were outplayed and deserved to lose the game."
However, lose they did.
At the end of last season the manager reflected that five defeats in his side's first 14 games scuppered any realistic title aspirations. After posting two defeats, deserved or not, already this term the question remains how many Arsenal can afford to lose.
"You can never afford to lose a game," replied Wenger when that precise question was asked later on in his media work. "And you never go with that spirit into the game.
"How many games can you afford to lose? None. But can you win the title losing five games? Yes, Manchester United have shown that and we have shown that.
"But of course it depends how many you win as well because, in a League where you get three points for a win, you must consider how many draws you make. Of course you want to lose a minimum amount of games and I suppose you could say since the League has been played it has been between zero and five."
If, according to the manager's maths, Arsenal's margin for error is three defeats in their remaining 33 fixtures then a slip-up on Saturday would be costly.
Wenger expects to welcome back Andrey Arshavin after a groin problem. Robin van Persie was a doubt in midweek but was expected to pass a fitness test and make the trip.
Manuel Almunia (chest infection) is still out so Vito Mannone is likely to deputise but, at his press conference, Wenger did leave the door open to retain Wojiech Szczesny after his impressive debut in midweek. Samir Nasri (broken leg), Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianski (both knee) are all out. Theo Walcott is fit after his back problem but this game may have come a little too early for him.
Craven Cottage is Arsenal's Jekyll and Hyde ground. In the last five years they have come away with either a high-scoring win or a humbling defeat. Last season a goal from Brede Hangeland consigned Arsenal to their first defeat in just their second game of the campaign. It portrayed tell-tales signs for both teams.
Wenger's side never won their game of catch-up after stumbling off the blocks. Fulham's bedrock turned out to be their home form and defence. It helped them finish seventh and secure a place in the Europa League for the first time.
"We realise that Fulham is always a place where you want your team to really perform," said Wenger. "I believe the whole team is conscious of that and focused.
"We have prepared well and we will go there to try and win the game."
This is one of those unheralded away trips that will tell us much about the true mentality of Wenger's side.
Beautiful, flowing Arsenal would be nice but efficient Arsenal will be enough.
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