West Ham vs. Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's Key Comments from Pre-Match Presser

Arsene Wenger has defended Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere after his alleged involvement in a row outside a nightclub on Sunday morning.

The Frenchman was speaking to the media ahead of the Gunners' trip to West Ham United and believes more has been made of the incident than should have been, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

He also praised Wilshere's dedication, per Arsenal:

According to the Mirror's Russell Myers, Wilshere was filmed being interviewed by the police to determine his part in a fracas outside a club.

Per the Mirror's Adrian Kajumba, the manager added: "There was no training session the next day, he had a day off and you can accept the players go out and when they are free over the weekend and what is positive is he works very hard."

Wenger further stated his belief the 24-year-old can reach his potential if he is able to make a successful return from injury and remain fit, but the Arsenal boss won't be bringing him back into the first team until he's ready:

After the Gunners' comfortable 4-0 win over Watford on Saturday, which saw them keep pace with Leicester City and close the gap on Tottenham Hotspur to four points with a game in hand, Wenger is refusing to give up on the Premier League title:

Per Kajumba, he added: "We know we need the perfect run, and we don’t only look ahead but behind as we have a group of teams who can make it difficult for us. So we just concentrate on us and hope we finish in a strong way."

The Foxes are 11 points ahead of the Emirates Stadium club, so there is little pressure on Arsenal or expectation they can overhaul their rivals—an environment that usually allows the fragile Gunners to relax and perform to their ability.

They face Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Norwich City and Aston Villa in their run-in, so they should be able to pick up plenty of wins between now and the end of the season. However, that may still not be enough as Leicester continue to pick up three points each week.

Arsenal must first overcome the Hammers, though, and Wenger gave the latest team news ahead of Saturday's match, per the club's Twitter feed:

He also knows it will be a difficult clash:

The 66-year-old naturally highlighted Dimitri Payet as the Irons' key threat, per Olley:

According to Kajumba, he added: "In fact he already is. He is 29 and this year he has matured. He has come back into the (France) national team when he looked to be out so that shows he has been more consistent."

The midfielder has been a shining light in West Ham's final season at Upton Park, and he has racked up 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

If Arsenal are to prove they're still in the title race, a win is vital; and to pick up three points, they'll need to keep Payet under wraps.