Arsene Wenger wary of Christian Benteke threat

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said that his team must keep Christian Benteke quiet when they take on Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

The Gunners will be looking to put pressure on their North London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur by taking three points at home before Andre Villas-Boas takes his team to Upton Park on Monday.

Wenger expects a tough test from the Villans - particularly from Benteke, who he said has a "fantastic presence" in attack.

"It is always a battle against Villa," Wenger told reporters. "They have recently had some good results including a 3-3 draw at Everton.

"They know that they are fighting to avoid relegation. So it will be a typical Premier League game today and we have to prepare ourselves for a fight.

"Benteke has fantastic presence. He's a battler, physical and is good in the air. We've seen these qualities against us already this season and we'll need to keep him quiet."

Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League, four points behind Spurs.