Gunners seek to build on Euro feelgood factor

Arsene Wenger's stomach will have been settled by Tuesday night's demolition of Porto in the Champions League after the Frenchman revealed last weekend's Emirates Stadium defeat by Hull had left him feeling sick.

And his usual picks had perhaps redeemed themselves just in time with their 4-0 midweek success as Wenger certainly has plenty of young talent in reserve waiting for a chance, as the 6-0 League Cup thrashing of Sheffield United demonstrated just days before the Hull reverse.

Opposition from the north are again on the Gunners' radar, in the form of Roy Keane's Sunderland, who play hosts at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, and Wenger believes last weekend's traumatic experience will ensure his players are fully focused this time.

"We responded well against Porto," the Frenchman said. "First of all it was important to show that Saturday was an accident. We gave the first half of the response on Tuesday night and we want to give the other half on Saturday at Sunderland."

"When you go to Sunderland, you want your team to be completely at its best, and focused. I believe what happened last week will help us to do that. The pain was big, the response was good. I believe we have a healthy attitude in the squad and that has been shown against Porto. We want to show we have learned from the defeat against Hull."

With Arsenal also having lost at Fulham already this season, Wenger is aware that the margin of error available to his side is diminishing.

"I do not think, looking at the league table, the Hull result has too much of an impact," he said. "But it is damaging because you do not want to lose at home against anybody."

Sunderland, who also suffered a 2-1 home loss last week, to Aston Villa, fear that Hull's success will probably diminish their own chances of success, or at least remove any complacency that might have lingered in the minds of men who will soon have World Cup qualifiers around the globe on their minds.

A good performance from goalkeeper Craig Gordon is likely to be vital for the Black Cats therefore and the Scotland international admitted the Hull result was one his side could have done without.