Arsenal captain Robin van Persie says they must be wary of Sunderland's Sebastian Larsson today.

Van Persie got a sneak preview of what to expect from Larsson when Holland and Sweden met during the international break and he was struck by his old team-mate's work ethic.

"He's become a really good player, I like him," the captain told the Official Arsenal Matchday Programme.

"He worked hard on Tuesday, and we were up against each other the whole game. I was playing at right midfield, and he was at left wing. But he was tracking back the whole game, so I was playing against two men basically.

"I kept hoping he would stay forward so I could go one on one with the defender, but he kept coming back, and that shows how hard he worked, and how physically fit he is.

"Besides that, his shot is one of the best in the Premier League in my opinion, and he's a really good crosser too - he's a major asset for Sunderland. It will be a really big test against them, but I'm confident we can do it at home."