Manager Arsene Wenger is in no doubt Arsenal can find the consistency needed to lift the Barclays Premier League crown, but knows nothing will be decided on 'Grand Slam Sunday'.

The top four all go head-to-head on Sunday, with leaders Manchester United at Liverpool in the lunchtime kick-off before the Gunners travel to Chelsea.

Four successive draws have resulted in Arsenal watching their advantage cut back and then overtaken by the champions, who beat Bolton in midweek to move three points clear.

Chelsea, meanwhile, missed the chance to go level with Wenger's men after they failed to hold on to a 3-1 lead at Tottenham.

Nevertheless only five points separate the top three clubs with eight games remaining, and key encounters between them all are still to come before May.

Chelsea boast a proud home record of 77 games unbeaten in the league since the Gunners recorded a 2-1 victory there back in 2004.

While Wenger remains "highly confident" of his side's title aspirations, he accepts the showdown at United on April 13 is set to be just as vital as Sunday's encounter.

"I am sure at the end we will be in front of the other teams, and to win it we would like to beat Chelsea on Sunday," said the Arsenal manager.

"But if Chelsea lose, it does not completely put them out of it.

"I would prefer to be in front than chasing because we depend now on the results of Manchester United.

"We know as well that for us to win it now we have to beat Manchester United and Chelsea."

Wenger - whose side have lost only once in the Premier League all season - is clearly relishing his first genuine involvement in a sustained title challenge for three campaigns which have seen the Gunners play second fiddle to Chelsea and United.

It is an even more remarkable achievement given the rebuilding work needed after the summer sale of talisman Thierry Henry to Barcelona.

"It is fantastic to be in this position in March because nobody expected us to be there at the start of the season," said Wenger.

"I believe we will win it in the end because we are the most consistent team.

"Of course, I know everybody says you don't win for the moment - but we have had a little dip and we are over that now and we can show that on Sunday."

Arsenal's inability to win any of their last four Premier League games has seen their title credentials brought into question once again.

However, Wenger maintains his men have the technical skill level required to get back on track - and indicated he would have no qualms about playing "natural winger" Emmanuel Eboue at Stamford Bridge despite criticism from Chelsea boss Avram Grant over the Ivory Coast international's tackle on John Terry earlier this season.

"I believe we need to get back to speeding up our passing around the box. That's where we can be neater and where we can make a difference," Wenger reflected.

"We have been too narrow. That's down to the fact that I play Alex Hleb on one flank and he is more comfortable central and comes always inside.

"Therefore if teams defend deep like Middlesbrough did, we can be a bit narrow.

"We will play wide on Sunday, and Eboue is a natural wide player."

This week has again seen the issue of player behaviour and attitude towards the referee brought into question.

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole was quick to apologise to both Tottenham defender Alan Hutton and official Mike Riley following his horror tackle the 4-4 draw at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night and his reaction to the referee as he was shown the yellow card.

Wenger brought Cole through the Arsenal youth ranks before he joined Chelsea and maintains the England defender is not a "dirty player".

The Gunners boss maintains the game has improved in terms of it's physical edge.

"For me the situation has got better. I believe the game is usually quite fair," Wenger said.

"I have seen people targeting Patrick Vieira when he played. He was a monster and he could take it. I saw tackles on Patrick which were unbelievable.

"That doesn't exist anymore because the media are more alert and quicker to punish it."

The Arsenal boss added: "The only thing you can say is the consequence of the speed of the games is that the referees today in a situation cannot always see what is happening.

"Maybe he should have a kind of super tribunal that can make decisions above the referee after the game. It would take some pressure off."

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