LONDON -- Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal are ready to end their poor run of away form against the Premier League's top sides when they take on reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday.
Wenger's side have suffered a string of damaging defeats on trips to Manchester, Liverpool and Chelsea over the last couple of seasons, but Wenger is convinced they are ready to reverse that trend at the Etihad Stadium.
"The history will not play a part in this game," said Wenger, whose side lost 6-3 on their last trip to the Etihad. "It is the performance levels on the day that will play the biggest part and the only important part.
"History is history and we are here to change history. We know this is a team who can create chances and our defensive performance will be vital.
"We lost there last year under special circumstances. We missed many chances, we played with 10 men at the end and had to go forward. Also, we had a very difficult trip to Naples three days before [in the Champions League].
"From every big game you gain confidence when the result is positive. We are focused to go there and give ourselves a chance to win by putting a great performance in.
"We want to have a good balance between attacking and defending because we know that Man City attacks very well so it is important we do both sides of the game well.
"The problem on Sunday is not our team commitment, but whoever plays it is important that the team performs. This is a game that we want to win."
He said it was not a matter of life and death, though, adding: "You have to die, and we want to win."
Red cards have been a feature of games between Arsenal and City in recent years, with Wenger suggesting his team need to keep their cool as they look to edge closer to a top-four spot with a win on Sunday.
"Refereeing decisions can be vital in the big games and it is important that we keep our calm and control and find a balance between going into every challenge and not going overboard," he continued.
"Mathematically, we are not in the best position, but what we want to do is give ourselves a chance to come as close as possible to Man City and to do that, we have to put a top level performance in.
"You have many games when you know you will be judged on your potential. Man City is one of the games where people have a close eye on. We reason we did not win the championship last season because we did not perform in the top games away from home, but we have the potential to change that now."
The battle between fit-again City striker Sergio Aguero and Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez is one of the most eagerly anticipated clashes this weekend, with Wenger welcoming suggestions from City manager Manuel Pellegrini that Arsenal's Chilean forward is currently the "big star of English football."
"It's a great compliment, Pellegrini knows football well," said Wenger. "I agree with him that at the moment he is one of the top performing players in the Premier League.
"In the last year, Aguero suffered from being in and out, but he is a world-class player. He is a great striker.
"Sanchez is full of energy, full of enthusiasm as well. That is fantastically refreshing when you see the number of games he has played.
"He is always willing to go out and what everyone admires about him is that he is always willing to take people on and to fight. His enthusiasm, it's infectious, it's fantastic."
Wenger should have full-back Kieran Gibbs available once more for the trip to face City, but Danny Welbeck has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury and faces another two weeks on the sidelines.
The Arsenal manager also confirmed he has yet to decide whether David Ospina or Wojciech Szczesny will start in goal on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Wenger suggested his captain Mikel Arteta may only be out for six week after going under the surgeon's knife to resolve his ankle problem this week, but Arsenal officials confirmed after the press conference that the initially diagnosed three-month recovery period remains the most likely scenario.