FRENCH coach Christian Damiano is starting to get Saints playing football again.

As Saints today prepared to face table-topping Arsenal, the masters of gallic flair, Damiano is starting to impart similar passing principles on Saints.

The Frenchman, appointed as first team coach earlier this month, was responsible for bringing through the likes of Gunners great Thierry Henry during his time with the French FA.

And right-back Darren Kenton feels the Saints squad are already noticing the impact of his arrival - even though they travel to Highbury entrenched in the relegation zone after failing to win during Wigley's eight league matches in charge

He said: "Where we are at the moment we had started to hit too many long balls and Christian has tried to get us to get the ball and start playing it on the floor.

"He's only had a few training sessions but he's doing well and with a few more months he might get us playing better."

Kenton feels the key to this afternoon's game is showing Arsenal no fear - not easy to say when playing at right- back he could face the likes of Henry, Reyes and Pires running at him.

Arsenal have only lost once in 50 lague matches while Saints have only won once in 15 but Kenton insisted: "I don't think you can go into the game fearing them because if you do you're just going to go out and get beat.

"They're obviously a good side so you can't fear them, but you have to respect them.

"Theirry Henry does drift out to the left and Reyes plays out there and so can Pires so it is a very strong side.

"But then they have strength all through their team - Cole down the left, Toure and Lauren.

"It will be a difficult game but if you have 11 players thinking 'oh no it's Arsenal' you have no chance.

"All you can do is approach it like every other game and hope to get a result up there.

"Arsenal are one of the best teams in the world and have a few of the best players in the world and they could do another unbeaten run but hopefully after this weekend."

But he warned: "Sometimes if you get a tackle in against them it makes them angry and things get worse!

"I feel we can get a result. It's obviously very tough but if we go in positive we can get something.

"We've lost three key strikers in James Beattie, Kevin Phillips and Peter Crouch so scoring goals has been a problem but, defensively, it's not been too bad.

"If you look at the league table we're down there but we're not playing badly - we just can't score at the moment."

Midweek hat-trick hero Dexter Blackstock is again set to lead the line for Saints - he will partner Brett Ormerod up front as Saints bid to end their current 397-minute Premiership goal famine.

And Kenton said: "Dexter will do well. Last week he beat up two experienced centre halves and he'll continue to do alright.

"When I first came down here I saw him and Leon Best and thought they were experienced players, but then I found out they were only 17."