Nicolas Anelka Still Loves Arsenal - Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka still "loves" his old club - despite gunning to shoot them down on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Frenchman will face his former club Arsenal in Sunday's Premier League clash, but Wenger thinks that if the forward scores, it will be with a heavy heart.

"I believe he still loves the club," said Wenger.

"I was disappointed when he wanted to leave us, but the rest is down to him."

Anelka spent two years at Highbury, joining as a 17-year-old in 1997, but left for Real Madrid where he suffered a torrid time, losing both form and confidence.

Six clubs and 10 years later, Anelka finds himself at Stamford Bridge, and ready to put a major dent in Arsenal's title aspirations.

"He has not always been at the clubs where his talent deserves him to be, but in the end the talent told, now he is more mature," Wenger added.

"He was out of the French national team for a long time and out of the top level clubs, but now he is where he belongs.

"Slowly, Anelka is getting the credit that he deserves at Chelsea.

The Arsenal manager added that he still keeps in touch with the player he brought to the club as a teenager.

"I always kept in touch with Nicolas because I like him and I still believe deeply that he has never lost touch with Arsenal," he said.

"I always considered bringing him back at some stage, but it never worked because we always had strikers, and I was never a big fan of bringing old players back."

Arsenal host league leaders Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. If the Blues win, they will move 11 points clear of their north London rivals.