Arsene Wenger expects tough Reading "battle"

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned his players that they will face "a battle" when they visit Reading on Monday night.

The Gunners, who suffered an embarrassing penalty shootout defeat to Bradford City on Tuesday night, came from 4-0 down to beat the Royals 7-5 in the League Cup earlier this season.

Brian McDermott's men currently sit bottom of the Premier League table, but Wenger insists that his players must take nothing for granted.

"They are a team who deserve a lot of credit because they came up last year, for me surprisingly," he said. "Reading make it difficult for every team in every game, so we expect a battle."

Arsenal have been victorious on each of the 10 occasions that the two sides have met since 1935.