Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident his side will not be caught out by the early kick-off time when they host Manchester City on Saturday.
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The Gunners struggled early on in their Premier League away games last season, beaten 6-3 by City at the Etihad Stadium, before going down 5-1 at Liverpool and then humiliated 6-0 by Chelsea in March for Wenger's 1,000th match in charge.
The Arsenal boss, however, insists there is no reason to believe his team -- which could include a debut for Danny Welbeck following his move from Manchester United -- will have any problems with a slow start this time around when they kick off at 12.45 p.m. BST.
"At home, we have played well at 12.45. In the FA Cup, we had great games at 12.45. It is not the kick-off time, it is your performance, how you turn up,'' Wenger is quoted as saying by the Independent. "At 12.45 or three o'clock -- for me that is just talk, the rest is the quality of the performance that counts.''
Wenger added: "[We were worse] away from home, but I think the coincidence was that we played against very strong teams away from home at 12.45. I think it was more the quality of our opponents and the lack of quality in our performance that produced a result, not the kick-off time.
"I have heard that many times -- would you rather kick-off at three o'clock or 12.45? It is two hours and 15 minutes, that does not produce a miracle in your physical recovery. Sometimes maybe, on our side, we go a bit too much overboard on that. I think 12.45 is a good kick-off time. I like it.''
Arsenal are yet to lose a Premier League game this season, but were held to a 1-1 draw at Leicester just before the international break.
The Gunners have already beaten Manuel Pellegrini's men once this term, seeing off an under-strength team 3-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley on Aug. 10.
And Wenger feels Saturday's match, for which Aaron Ramsey is a doubt because of an ankle injury, provides another chance for Arsenal to prove they can come out on top against the Premier League champions.
"We have now got the opportunity to show that we have grown as a team, that we are more mature and ready for the fight, so let's do it,'' he said.
"I don't think that this game is very important for us mathematically because we dropped points away from home, but it gives us credibility and confidence to do well. The Premier League this year is very, very important for us and of course a game against Manchester City becomes a very important game.''