Pires and Bergkamp set for Celta recall

As the compliments continued to rain in on Arsenal for their awesome display at Fratton Park, Vieira refused to be drawn on just how good this current team are.

"We are going to wait," he said. "It is a fantastic squad but we have to wait before we can say we are a great side. Football is all about winning trophies. At this stage of the season, we have won nothing. Yes, we are top of the league. Yes, we are in the semifinals of the FA Cup and, yes, we are doing well in the Champions League.

"Doing well .... but we are too far away from winning a trophy. We did well at Portsmouth and it seemed that we scored from every chance that we created. The confidence is really high. They are all big games in which we are involved now and as a player you want to play in those.

"We have to be focused in every game. I had a difficult start to the season with injuries but I worked hard with the fitness coach and I am getting better and I feel better and better with every game. Every player at Arsenal must be ready to play his part."

There is clearly another huge motivating factor at Arsenal - especially among those who were regulars last season when the Premiership was lost by Arsenal more than it was won by Manchester United. An eight-point lead going into the early spring programme was frittered away, and the scars on Vieira's professional pride are still evident.

"As a team we learned," he said. "When you are in the position we were in and you still don't win the title, you learn a lot from it. And that shows how intelligent we are, the fact that we have learned. We know it is not over yet. But we are not conceding goals. Our concentration level is high."

Of some concern to the other title contenders - Manchester United and Chelsea - was the message from Wenger. After Portsmouth were left breathless and a television audience captivated by Arsenal's performance, the Frenchman said: "We can play better than that. You must strive to always be better.

"You are always on your toes because you know something can go wrong and the only chance you have to keep it up is to have the maximum commitment and maximum concentration.

"It is normal that opponents want you to slip up. With us, you play it like you feel it. There is a basis which allows everybody to express himself. We want to give a positive image and to be remembered as a team who give pleasure to people who come to watch us.

"Right now we are a mixture of things - English spirit, South Americans, French and Spanish. Football is a culturally-minded game and everybody brings his qualities to the team. And there is more there."