Wenger dismisses talk of Seville hangover

Sir Bobby Robson once observed, after Arsenal's players and staff had raged at officialdom following a rare home defeat, that "some people at this club need to learn how to lose".

The recent revelation that Arsne Wenger used to be physically sick after defeats underlined how unlikely it is that such a development will occur. Certainly, Arsenal have a habit of reacting badly to failure, often stuttering in several subsequent matches on the spin, notably after the 49-match unbeaten run of the "Invincibles". Thus it may be with a certain trepidation that Wenger approaches this evening's match at Villa Park. Not only are Aston Villa in prime form and Cesc Fabregas injured, but Arsenal lost their first match of the season, and the first in 29, in midweek, in Seville.

Any thoughts that the tie was inconsequential, as the Gunners had qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, were dispelled when Wenger's angry reaction provoked a red card. The Villa match begins a testing series of away games with Arsenal at Newcastle in midweek and Middlesbrough a week tomorrow. They then return to the Emirates to host Chelsea.

"I feel we are going into a very important and interesting spell," Wenger said. "We play now three times away in tricky places."

Wenger insists his team will take defeat better then the "Invincibles" did. "When we lost after 49 games it was a massive setback because it coincided with the end of an era for us," he said. "This time it is the start of an era, so psychologically it's not the same impact at all.

"I am not worried because this team has shown their mental strength plenty of times this year in the final 10 or 15 minutes every time we had to deliver, we did. I am very confident we can produce a good game."

Wenger added he was not surprised his young team had begun the season so well, but admitted he "could not have imagined we would be three points ahead with a game in hand going into December".

As well as Fabregas , who has a hamstring injury, Arsenal will be without Robin van Persie, Alexander Hleb and Abou Diaby while Villa are missing the suspended, Nigel Reo-Coker, but hope Gabby Agbonlahor recovers from a gashed ankle.

"Aston Villa is a place where certainly we will need to play our football," Wenger said, "but also be strong enough to counter what they are good at. They are a very strong, direct side with a lot of pace and body strength. The first test [this week] is very interesting."

Martin O'Neill said: "Are Villa ready to challenge Arsenal? We've got a bit to do to perform consistently like that. It doesn't mean we are not capable of playing very well tomorrow, and I think we are capable of winning."