By Rob Harris
London - For all the silky football and attacking flair, Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia knows the Premier League title will remain elusive unless his team avoids making sloppy mistakes.
A surprise defeat at Sunderland - the first in more than two months - has left Arsenal eight points adrift of Chelsea going into Sunday's match against the league leader, albeit with a game in hand.
"Because they are one of our direct opponents in the title race we have to make sure we have no silly mistakes," the 32-year-old Almunia told Friday's edition of the London Evening Standard. "People are used to seeing Arsenal as a great team with beautiful football but if we lose our identity for four or five games in the season, you are not going to win the title. Without your identity, you have nothing and you will lose.
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"There are players who can lead this team and have great character but I think more people have to show leadership no matter what age they are. In football, with no character you don't win anything."
Arsenal defender William Gallas has a 50-50 chance of featuring because of an eye problem, but Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin will be available despite needing staples in a wound after a clash of heads with Gallas in the Champions League victory over Standard Liege on Tuesday.
The dangerman on Sunday will be Didier Drogba, who has scored nine league goals for Chelsea this season.
"Drogba is very strong and is in a very good place so we have to be careful about him," Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue, the striker's Ivory Coast teammate, told ESPN. "It is very difficult to beat Chelsea at the moment because they are very, very solid and very, very focused. But me, I believe in our team.
"I think it is important to play our game, play forward and to think we can do something against them."
Chelsea's trip to Arsenal is one of three derby matches on Sunday, with Wolverhampton hosting Birmingham and Liverpool making the short trip to Everton.
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