Pires bemoans disruption as Gunners hit their stride

French star Robert Pires fears the two-week international break could derail Arsenal's title charge just as the Gunners appear to be hitting their stride.

Saturday's derby victory over Tottenham completed a run of three wins in eight days and extended the Premiership leaders unbeaten start in the league to 12 matches.

"It has been a fantastic week for the club," Pires told AFP. "After the games against Leeds (4-1) and then Kiev (1-0) in the Champions League in midweek, we were a bit drained. We really had to dig deep against Spurs but we did it.

"We're on a bit of a roll at the moment and it is a shame that most of the squad will now be going away with their national teams.

"It is always hard to get back into gear after the international breaks."

Pires and team-mates Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord will link up with the France squad this week ahead of Saturday's friendly against Germany in Gelsenkirchen.

They then report back to Highbury for a tough trip to Birmingham on Saturday, November 22 before travelling to Milan for a make-or-break Champions League appointment with Inter on the following Tuesday.

Pires was behind much of Arsenal's good work in the win over Kiev that resurrected their European campaign and his goal against Tottenham was the fifth he has scored in north London derbies.

"Scoring against Tottenham is always a bit special and I seem to be making a habit of it," he said, before joking: "I'm becoming really fond of their defence."

After struggling at the start of the season after having his summer break cut short by playing in the Confederations Cup for France, Pires now believes he is returning to the kind of form that won him a player of the year award in Arsenal's double winning 2001-02 season.

"I'm my own biggest critic and I recognise that I was not at my best at the start of the season," Pires said.

"I had lost my fitness and with it a bit of the cutting edge that is the strong point of my game," he admitted.

"But I never lost faith in my ability. The goal I scored at Liverpool gave me a big boost and now things are starting to go really well."