Arsenal not envious, says Pires

Robert Pires today said there is no sense of envy at Arsenal at the freespending way in which Chelsea have assembled a squad that has taken Jose Mourinho's team to the top of the Premiership.

Chelsea's massive summer investment has been funded by billionaire Roman Abramovich but Pires said: "Nobody at Arsenal is jealous of the Chelsea money - because we know there is a difference between spending money and building a good team.

"You can have fantastic players but that doesn't mean that your team plays in a fluid way. But obviously Chelsea have spent well. They have a serious way of playing and the money has been used to win and not for showtime.

"And I don't think we can complain about money at Arsenal. We are spending money to build a fantastic stadium."

The impact of players such as Mathieu Flamini also gives Pires encouragement. Flamini is again in line to play on Sunday against Chelsea because Patrick Vieira is suspended.

And Pires dismissed any suggestion that Sunday's encounter is a grudge match between the teams - or that it will be a title decider. He said: "There is no special rivalry with Chelsea."