Manager Arsene Wenger is confident the midfield talents of Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini can take Arsenal to Premier League glory.Fabregas received rave reviews for his performance in the San Siro in midweek when he scored the first goal in the 2-0 victory against AC Milan while Flamini provided the protective shield which allowed Fabregas the freedom to revel in his creative work.

So effective were they that Wenger believes they could be the foundation for silverware for years to come, just like the partnership of Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit in the past.

Fabregas and Flamini are expected to line up against Wigan in Sunday's match at the JJB Stadium when the pitch will be somewhat lumpier than the immaculate surface at the San Siro.

But Wenger is sure they can cope with anything thrown at them, including the infamous Wigan mud.

Wenger said of 20-year-old Fabregas, who recently signed a new five-year contract: "He is still a bit young. There is more to come from him and you want him to show that he is the complete midfielder as he did on Tuesday night in attack and defence. It was a most pleasing performance."

On the subject of Flamini, who is out of contract in the summer, Wenger insisted: "I believe he will stay. He wants to stay, I want him to stay and we have a good understanding. That should be sorted out in March."

Together, according to Wenger, his midfield pair are bigger and better than the sum of their parts.

He said: "They are very mobile going forward and are technically very good. Before we had players more with impact, now their strength is more about ability.

"They have a good understanding, although they are less physically strong than Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit.

"We have built a team, being very restricted with our spending, and you can only gain the reward if you can keep the team together."

It is a recurring theme in any chat with Wenger.

He is rightly proud of the fact he is unique among the managers of English football's big four clubs in being able to build a trophy-chasing side on a shoestring, plus of course his own considerable wits.

True, Wenger did once pay £13million for Sylvain Wiltord in 2000 and sanctioned a deal reported to be worth around £17million for Jose Antonio Reyes in 2004, neither of whom could be considered huge successes.

But Wenger has spent a pittance compared to Sir Alex Ferguson, who blew £53million alone on Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson in the summer and the Arsenal manager would have a dizzy fit if he signed the sort of cheques which are commonplace at Chelsea.

Even though the board have told him £69million is available, Wenger has no plans to spend much of it this summer.

Wenger said: "You look at the amount of money we have spent in recent years and we have not done bad.

"The real target of a manager is to respect the balance of what comes in and what goes out, do well with the funds available.

"We have money available because we have made the right decisions.

"I believe a football team is not about buying and selling. I believe it is more about building and working together and going through a growing process. It is enjoyable now to see the team going slowly up and seeing what they can do.

"I believed in this team and winning [the title] would prove me right. I am confident I will be proven right."

Wenger could have the boost of seeing striker Robin van Persie return to action against Wigan, although the Dutchman was "tired" after coming through a behind-closed-doors match in midweek.

"He can make a difference. He's played eight games only in the championship so to

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