If anyone thought Arsene Wenger was going to go down without so much as a whimper under the post-Bayern Munich pressure, then they are in for a big surprise.

The Arsenal manager, who came out in defiant mood for his pre-Sutton press conference, is showing no signs of wanting to give up. Having watched him for 20 years at the club we love, this should perhaps be no surprise.

“I am a fighter, somewhere inside,” said Wenger. “You don’t stay long in this job otherwise. I do not expect too much from outside, I expect more from me inside. When you hate defeat like I hate defeat, it’s always tough. I’m determined to always fight back.

“Every defeat is harder. I can never transmit to you my feelings about defeats. When I managed for the first time at 33 or 34 (at French side Nancy) after our first defeat I threw up. Whether you are young or old, every defeat hurts.

“I’m a competitor. If I was talking with my neighbour at age six or seven, I was already competing for everything. I was born like that.”

Arsenal know that a win against Sutton will set up a home tie against another non-league side, Lincoln, in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

Arsenal also know that anything other than a win will make post-Bayern look like a day at Disneyland.

Hopefully Wenger manages to convey some of his own fight to his own players.