Arsenal playmaker Tomas Rosicky has admitted that his side must respect Wigan, despite going into Monday night’s clash as favourites.

The north London club can open up an eight-point advantage in third with a win at the Emirates Stadium, but the Czech Republic international is wary of the relegation-threatened Latics.

“We have a great chance to stay in third position but now we have to make sure of it,” the midfielder told The Guardian.

“That starts against Wigan – and make no mistake, it’s a very big game for us. People might not usually regard a match against Wigan as such a big one but they are still battling relegation, so there is a lot at stake for both of us.

“We saw what can happen against a team fighting for its life when we played away at QPR and we expect the same kind of performance from Wigan on Monday. We have to give 100 per cent to get the result.

“We saw Wigan beat Manchester United last Wednesday, so that’s an indication that it will be a tough test for us. We’ll have to be on top of our game to win, no doubt about it.

“Wigan have some very good players and a good young manager, so this will be a very tough match for us,” he confirmed.

By Gareth McKnight

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