Captaincy helps Vieira to learn from his mistakes

'I don't react like I used to because I have to be an example. Tackles are part of the game. I give them and have to accept them'

From his public image it might be imagined that Patrick Vieira has been preparing for Chelsea's visit to Highbury this afternoon by sharpening his studs and elbows. This is a fixture which sees more cards than a Christmas mantlepiece, the last red having been delivered to the Arsenal captain at Stamford Bridge in September. Thanks to Vieira pausing for a word with Andy D'Urso en route to the dressing room, he received a fine and an extended suspension.

However, appearances are deceptive when it comes to Vieira. In person Arsenal's enforcer is charming, polite and softly-spoken. The only fowl play which featured in his preparations was a turkey dinner with one of today's main opponents.

Emmanuel Petit may now play for Chelsea but that did not stop Vieira and Robert Pires sharing Christmas with him, celebrated, as is the French custom, on 24 December. Such friendships are rarer in football than one might think, the transitory nature of players' careers tending to limit relationships to the acquaintance level. But Vieira is one of those quiet men who run deep.

"Manu's a good friend of mine but it will be good to play against him," Vieira said as we chatted at Arsenal's London Colney training complex this week. There is much at stake. Despite Chelsea's bleak Christmas they remain second, five points behind Arsenal. "I'm not surprised Chelsea are doing well," Vieira added. "They have really good internationals and have not changed so much in the last few years so maybe they are finding stability."

This, Vieira realised soon after walking into the marble halls, is a significant factor in Arsenal's success. At that time George Graham's fabled defence was still in situ. Most have since moved on, but the club retains a long-serving core few anticipated in the post-Bosman era. Vieira is in his seventh season, with David Seaman, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour and Dennis Bergkamp all pre-dating him. The club's ethos of stubborn excellence is thus passed on to newcomers.

"When I joined the club one of the first things that opened my eyes was the spirit of the team," Vieira said. "Though a few players have left, this remains. This year David Seaman and Martin Keown have a big role to play. They have been at the club a long time, they know how the club is and I need their help to do my best as captain.

"The spirit of the team is such that we fight to the final whistle. Take Sunday's Liverpool game. I never thought we would lose. We knew there were 15 minutes to go and with the creative talent we have we could score at any time. In the end we nearly won it."

In the past Arsenal's determination has tended to excess, but there has been a notable improvement in their disciplinary record this year. Apart from his lapse at Stamford Bridge, Vieira has been unrecognisable from the player once described as "Arsenal's wild man". Experience, maturity and captaincy have mellowed the 26-year-old.

Vieira, who, the statistics reveal, is fouled far more often than he infringes, said: "I go on the pitch with the same commitment but I had to improve the way I acted. I made some mistakes and I learned. Now I am captain I don't react like I used to because I have to be an example. Tackles are part of the game. I give them and have to accept them."

A significant contribution to this improvement has been made through sharing the workload with Gilberto Silva, Vieira's most compatible midfield partner since Petit left for Barcelona. "He has given a lot to the club," Vieira said of the Brazilian. "He has helped the team to keep calm, he is a calm player. With Edu's help he has settled in really quickly."

With these two providing a platform for the flair players ahead of and alongside them, and a shield for the defence, Arsenal look well equipped for a demanding spring. Having won the Premiership last season, one might imagine the Champions' League is the priority, but Vieira insists Arsenal are aiming to win both – plus the FA Cup.

"We want to win the league twice to prove we are still the best and to show the continuity of Arsenal. And of course we want to improve a lot in the Champions' League. We have the team to play both. We have a fantastic squad. It is exciting. We are first in our European group, first in the league, and the FA Cup starts for us this week.

"Since I have been here we have always finished in the top two or three, we've been in the Champions' League all the time, and won trophies. We now need to win the Champions' League to say we are a top European team. Arsenal deserve and need to win it. I hope this is the year."

If it is, it would prove Arsenal and Vieira were right to resist the blandishments of Real Madrid, Juventus and others. Vieira has been linked with a move so often he now laughs when the word "speculation" is mentioned but there have been times when it has seemed that, but for Arsenal's determination to hold on to him, he would have left. Now, though, he appears content both personally and professionally. He has a long-time partner, Cheryl, and relishes the honour of being captain. Insiders report he makes time to have a word for everyone, from Dennis Bergkamp – who loudly interrupts us – to the cleaning ladies. Even a day such as Monday, when he has spent the morning training in cold torrential rain, does not evoke thoughts of sunnier climates, ones, moreover, where footballers have a rest over Christmas.

"Nah," he said, his French accent temporarily replaced by Ray Parlour's Estuary English. He added: "The speculation doesn't really bother me. I have a contract here so in my mind it is fine. The contract finishes in 2004 so we are just going to start talking. We've not found the right moment yet but we will find a solution. It will not be a problem because the club want me to stay and I want to stay. It is going to be easy."

Maybe the experiences of Petit, who had an unhappy time at Barcelona, and Nicolas Anelka, who fared little better in Madrid, have made Vieira appreciate what he has. He added: "I have found what I am looking for, a club which wants to be big in Europe, which wants to win trophies, where the fans love the players and the players have respect from everyone. It is fantastic to be in an environment where you can really enjoy your job. England is a country where you can enjoy your football.

"The fans are fantastic. They are real supporters. They support you even if you lose. That is important for players. In Italy or France it is completely different.

"I like it when, even if I meet a Man United fan or Tottenham fan, they say: 'I don't support your team but the team plays good football.' It is nice to hear that. It shows the respect the fan has for the footballer. You don't find that in other countries."

It is not just English supporters who impress Vieira. Of the prospects for England's footballers in Euro 2004, he said: "When you see what they did in the World Cup they have a big chance. I expect them to play in the semi-final at least, maybe the final. The difference from the World Cup is that they did not have any pressure because no one expected them to do well. Now there are expectations and nobody knows how they will react."

Not that France intend to surrender their European crown. As Vieira added: "We have a new manager, new discipline and some new players. We also have the hunger we used to have. Maybe we lost that a bit in the World Cup."

In the tournament France were beaten, memorably, by Senegal, the country of Vieira's birth. He supported them for the rest of the competition and still feels a kinship with the West African nation. As a footballer, though, he is French, having moved to Europe as an eight-year-old to join his mother, who had found work in a Parisian suburb. He said: "I'm a French product with an African's hunger." As Chelsea will be reminded today, it is a potent combination.

VIEIRA ON ARSENAL
'When I joined the club one of the first things that opened my eyes was the spirit of the team. Though a few players have left, this remains'

VIEIRA ON FRANCE
'We have a new manager, new discipline and some new players. We also have the hunger we used to have. Maybe we lost that a bit in the World Cup'