Cesc Fabregas says Arsenal 'hungry' for title. [ Tuesday December 25, 2007]
Cesc Fabregas has said Arsenal are determined to prove people wrong by continuing their table-topping form in the second half of the season and winning the Premier League title.

Arsenal's title credentials were written off at the start of the season following the summer departure of Thierry Henry to Barcelona.

With Arsene Wenger proving reluctant to add to his young squad, many had tipped Arsenal for a season of transition without being able to challenge Manchester United and Chelsea this term.

That has been far from the case for Wenger's talented side who have only lost one game in the league, a 2-1 loss at Middlesbrough, and are currently one point clear of champions United heading into the Boxing Day fixtures.

Fabregas has been one of Arsenal's most influential players this season, scoring 11 goals in all competitions, and has said that the team is determined to reclaim the league title they last won in 2003/04.

"The team is hungry and wants to achieve something to prove people wrong," Fabregas said.

"We want to achieve a lot of things over the next 12 months. If we could win everything that would be perfect - but the Premier League is the competition it would be amazing to win."

Arsenal take on Portsmouth on Boxing Day (7.45pm) where they could find themselves temporarily dislodged from top spot as United travel to Sunderland earlier in the day.

Fabregas scored in their 3-1 win over Harry Redknapp's side earlier in the season and says he is enjoying the added responsibility of adding to last season's goalscoring record in the absence of Henry.

The 20-year-old only struck four goals last year and said: "I have more responsibility than before.

"When you looked at Arsenal a year or two years ago you just saw Thierry Henry. It was a little bit like the other players did not exist.

"But when he left it was an opportunity for everybody to show we are a team and a good club.

"Even if the best player in the world is leaving us we can still achieve something."