We're hungry to end drought, says Arsene Wenger

The Gunners can move above Manchester United to within one point of leaders Chelsea if they win their game in hand against Bolton at Emirates Stadium tomorrow.

Wenger is searching for his first silverware since the 2005 FA Cup triumph against United and the squad have changed so much in the intervening period that only a handful of players have tasted success at the club.

"We are a team who have grown up together and want to achieve things," said the Frenchman. "We have not won anything yet together and that makes us hungry for success.

"It doesn't mean that Chelsea or Manchester United don't have hunger but what I know is that within our team we have a great hunger for success and we have great solidarity and spirit. We refused to give up and continued to fight and believe in our strengths. The biggest test in our camp was the mental strength and solidarity of the players. That has been tested.

"Secondly, the other teams dropped points in an unexpected way. We talked about that and it gives us a good springboard to go even further. Why should we stop here?

"But if we stop here it can quickly go the other way. That is why it will determine how ambitious and how hungry we are in the next two months."

Wenger, who has Denilson fit again after a back problem but will be without skipper Cesc Fabregas until the return trip to Bolton on 17 January, today expressed his frustration at the Gunners' fixture list pile-up.

He admitted his disappointment at ITV's decision to put Arsenal's FA Cup fourth-round clash at Stoke back to Sunday 24 January, to start a daunting 19-day spell which includes games against Aston Villa, United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Wenger said: "It is not exactly where we wanted it but we don't decide that. Let's see first how we stand injury wise. We have a big game after the Cup at Aston Villa but maybe the best way to prepare is to win and then you recover well.

"Ideally we would have played on Saturday. We play on Sunday lunchtime, it's not too bad."

As several fixtures fall victim to the weather including both Carling Cup semi-finals, the major roads and walkways around Emirates Stadium were gritted this afternoon to help avoid Arsenal's clash with Bolton falling victim to the anticipated heavy snowfall.

Meanwhile, the Gunners' former captain, Patrick Vieira, has been linked with a return to England with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini looking to work again with the midfielder he brought to Inter Milan in 2006.

And Wenger added: "I believe he will still be very effective in the Premier League because he has been injury free for three or four months.

"I was surprised it was Manchester City, because there were more talks about other clubs, but it is a good opportunity for him."