Friday 21 October 2016 12:52, UK
Arsene Wenger has told his Arsenal players to keep their focus or risk being eaten in the Premier League "jungle".
Middlesbrough's visit on Saturday is a opportunity for an eighth straight victory for Wenger's side, whose only defeat this season came against Liverpool on the opening weekend.
The Gunners put six past Champions League opponents Ludogorets Razgrad on Wednesday to top their group, while domestic leaders Manchester City are ahead on goal difference only.
But speaking at his pre-match press conference, Wenger said: "I believe humility is to understand that you start again from zero.
"We live in a jungle where everyone wants to eat you - you have to survive by keeping your vigilance. That's what competition is about."
Santi Cazorla is Wenger's one concern ahead of the Boro game after he took a knock against Ludogorets, while Granit Xhaka begins a three-match ban for his red card against Swansea.
Olivier Giroud could return against Reading in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, meanwhile, and next weekend's trip to Sunderland is a realistic target for Aaron Ramsey.
The form of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil means the absence of Giroud and Ramsey has barely been felt and Wenger believes his decision to start the season without the German has been vindicated.
"I think so," he said. "I gave an even longer break [in pre-season] to Sanchez. It took them some time to come back to their best but it was the right decision."
Neither Sanchez or Ozil has yet agreed to sign a contract beyond 2018 but Wenger said: "I want them to commit to the club because they believe they are in the right place."
The manager is cautiously optimistic the club's backroom staff have found a solution to the kinds of muscular injuries regularly suffered by Arsenal players in recent seasons.
"We know the players well now," he said. "We have data for a few years and [we can recognise] the repetition of some warnings from when they got injured."
And Wenger gave an upbeat bulletin on Danny Welbeck, who is working his way back from a second serious knee injury in as many years.
"He is ahead of schedule and could be back in January. After that let's not forget he was out for a year, and to get him back to competitive level will take two months. He will be out to start running in two weeks."