Wenger reluctant to tinker

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal's stunning start to the season has come at a cost - upsetting some of the big names at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are unbeaten this season and have only dropped points in one Premier League game, and that was following a blunder by Jens Lehmann at Blackburn and the Frenchman could tinker with his line-up against Slavia Prague in the Champions League, but he is also wary of changing a winning formula.

"It's unjust to change the team if you are doing well. They are not happy to be in the situation of course. I never try to convince someone to be happy in a position like that," said Wenger.

He added: "You can only trust what you see, it is the price of the team doing well on a consistent level for four, five, six games.

"We are in a job where competition is vital and we have to deal with those kind of situations and the top-level players deal with that.

"Gilberto and Lehmann are certainly not happy, but their attitude in training is certainly spot-on. That's where you gain more respect. My biggest job is to win the next game, and my players are so professional they will always behave like professionals."

Theo Walcott is also pushing for a starting place after a series of cameos off the bench.

"When a guy comes on and makes a difference, he doesn't stay a long time as a substitute," said Wenger.

"That is what is good in the attitude of our players, they come on with a real desire to affect the game."