Arsène Wenger has maintained his stance that Chelsea are still a force to be reckoned with, as the Gunners prepare to take on Guus Hiddink’s side at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Last season’s champions have endured a tumultuous campaign, which saw José Mourinho sacked in December, with Chelsea teetering precariously above the relegation zone. Hiddink remains unbeaten in his second spell as interim manager, but the Blues still sit 14th, just four points above the bottom three.

However, Wenger maintains that Chelsea’s quality ensures that they will pose a serious threat to the league leaders, irrespective of their stuttering form. The Frenchman insisted: "They are not in this title race but they are direct rivals because of the quality of their team. I think this season is exceptional circumstances for them. They will be back."

As mentioned, Chelsea’s abysmal form saw Mourinho sacked last month, despite having won the Premier League just six months prior. The veteran Arsenal boss may have been glad to see the back of his unsavoury nemesis, but he is adamant that the players on the pitch take precedence over managerial appointments.

"I look at the quality of the players on the football pitch and never at who sits on the bench. We do not analyse the character of the manager who sits on the bench on the other side," the 66-year-old added.

However, Wenger was full of praise for his opposite number Hiddink, who he labelled as 'exceptional'. "I have a lot of respect for him. He has had an exceptional career. He is one of the leading managers who has represented this Dutch philosophy and exported it across Europe.”

Wenger - chance to make a statement

Arsenal’s recent Premier League record against Chelsea isn’t particularly impressive; the North Londoners haven’t recorded a league victory over the Blues since 2011, when Andre Villas Boas was in charge at Stamford Bridge, but Wenger believes Sunday's game is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate his side's tenacity and development.

"It is another one where we can show we have moved forward. It is another game where people look at us and see how we behave because, even if Chelsea are not in the best position, you look at their squad.

He added: "We have certainly proved our battling potential this season through big solidarity, through great togetherness and as well because we are ambitious and we have more experience than in the past."

Nevertheless, if the Gunners are to cement top spot in the Premier League with victory over the champions, they’ll have to contest with a resurgent Diego Costa, who appears to have won the race to be fit. Costa struggled for form under Jose Mourinho, but that form has returned under Hiddink’s stewardship, seeing Costa scoring four goals in five league games.

The volatile forward was instrumental in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal in September. Costa was extremely fortunate to avoid a sending-off for scratching and elbowing Laurent Koscielny, and he managed to antagonise Gabriel Paulista, which saw the Arsenal centre-back red-carded, leaving Arsenal with ten men for almost an hour.

Wenger acknowledged that Arsenal’s centre-backs could be in for a similar dose of theatrics and antagonistic behaviour if Costa starts at the Emirates on Sunday. "We have to be prepared for a battle because Costa gives you a fight. After that, it’s down to the referee. It’s a difficult subject. We have to focus on our performance and forget a little bit about Costa."

Big test for Arsenal's title credentials

This is a big test of the Gunners’ title credentials. If they were to complete their three-game sequence against Stoke, Liverpool and Chelsea still on top of the league, this would illustrate their growing mental fortitude, particularly given the plethora of injury problems they’ve had to contend with.

Chelsea have endured a miserable season thus far, and their defensive frailties have been somewhat remarkable. However, this group of players won the title last season, therefore they have the ability, mentality and pedigree to trouble the hosts. Chelsea notoriously up their game against their London rivals, but with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez set to return, Arsène Wenger will be quietly confident of securing a huge-three points on Sunday.