I knew I wasn't good enough for Arsenal, says Birmingham star Larsson

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The Swedish midfielder returns to Emirates Stadium tomorrow to confront Fabregas for the first time since his £1million move to Birmingham City 12 months ago.

He is hoping to avoid the kind of master class from the Spaniard that convinced him he was never going to be part of Wenger's latest crop of youngsters that are lighting up the title race.

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There were more than a few doubters about Arsenal's credentials back in the summer.

But Larsson, who spent five years being nurtured along with Fabregas, Gael Clichy and Nicklas Bendtner, was not one of them for the simple reason that his education in such company gave him a valuable insight into the potential at Wenger's disposal and his own short-comings.

He said: "I don't regret leaving. The reason was because I was not good enough. Simple as that. I am really grateful for my time there. I would not have got a better education anywhere else. I always believed in myself and I thought I was good enough, but at the same time you look around and see all the players in competition with you.

"I was not playing as much as I wanted to and you just have to be honest with yourself and take the next step.

"Many people in Sweden ask me why I failed at Arsenal. I don't see it like that at all. They helped make me the player I am today. I had the option to stay on, but I was not getting first-team football and I ran out of patience. I could not wait any longer. "I had to draw a line under it and move on. That was one step in my career. Now this is the next one."

He is expecting a flurry of text messages from Fabregas and Clichy, but it is the blur of red and white shirts at Emirates Stadium he fears more, from a team he believes have no peers in England, including Manchester United and Chelsea.

On his last visit to north London, Larsson, 22, scored a spectacular winner in the 3-2 win over Tottenham in December, so what does he think the odds are of lightening striking twice?

He added: "I think when they are on top of their game, they are definitely the best team in the country at the moment and there is no one that can play the football they can. I hope they are not on their game tomorrow.

"It is a matter of them sustaining that week-in, week out and they have done that so far this season. I know there were a lot of people who doubted them.

"I believe they will win the title. Even losing players to the African Nations' Cup, they have the squad to cope with that. Of course they are young, but they can cope with it, because they have been there and done it from an early age."

All of that is down to one person, according to Larsson - Wenger. From the bizarre shadow football that bemuses new arrivals, the strict food regimes and the meticulous planning, Larsson's five years of experience taught him that the Frenchman will never compromise his principles.

"What's his secret? He has got the way he wants to play football and he will not change. It does not matter what happens. He clones people for all positions and everything is repeated over and over until everyone has it right," added Larsson.

"As soon as he opens his mouth people listen and the reason the players who are first choice now are doing so well is because of the experience that Wenger makes sure they get. That is why they are as good as they are. He will never change that."