BUOYANT Sunderland boss Peter Reid believes that this afternoon's demanding test against championship contenders Arsenal at Highbury will give his players the chance to prove they are worthy of their third-top Premiership standing.

"It will tell us a lot about ourselves - how far we have come and how far we have to go," said Reid.

"If we can get something at Arsenal I think it will make people sit up.

"The League table doesn't lie and we are currently the third best team in the Premiership.

"I didn't think we would be third at this stage of the season, but all credit to the players - they are the ones who go out and get results and they have done fantastically well."

Reid does not think that his side will fall away again as it did in the second half of last season.

He said: "Last January we were poor in a lot of games. We lost confidence and were too easy to beat. But there were mitigating circumstances, without three influential members of the team - Gavin McCann, Stefan Schwarz and Steve Bould - through injury. We had a terrible second part of the season and I don't expect that to happen again.

"This time around I think we are stronger in depth and we have top quality players.

"This is our second year in the Premiership and I expect us to go on and win more matches in the second half of the season than we did last time."

Reid knows the dangers of being over-optimistic about his side's chances of winning a place in Europe, but he senses a quiet confidence in the camp.

He said: "We have had a fantastic first half of the season but you can never tell what will happen in football. If you get major injuries it is a problem for any club.

"But if we can keep our major players I expect us to be a strong side which is difficult to beat. I am hoping that we can carry on in the same vein and I certainly feel the players believe that as well - there is a confidence amongst them."

Sunderland were fortunate to beat Arsenal in the opening game of the season and Reid expects a stern test at Highbury, where Sunderland lost 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.

But Sunderland go into the game on the back of a fine 4-1 victory at Bradford in which ace striker Kevin Phillips claimed his first hat-trick of the season after his return from suspension.

Reid said: "We went to Bradford and played really well - we did it in style. It has given the lads a little spring in their step.

"It will be very difficult indeed at Arsenal. I think we were slightly fortunate against them in the opening game of the season when we dug out a result.

"We will have to play really well but we go there with confidence - you have to measure yourselves against the best in the league and certainly Arsenal fall into that category."

He added: "I think Manchester United are strong favourites to win the Premiership but Arsenal are quite capable of going to Old Trafford and getting a result. I wouldn't write off Arsenal's chances of winning the championship."

Sunderland go into the game without record £4.5m signing Emerson Thome, serving an automatic one-match suspension after totting up five bookings.

His place with be taken by the Slovakian international captain, Stanislav Varga, who has been unable to win back a regular first team place after recovering from injury because of the sound central defensive partnership of Thome and the in-form Jody Craddock, who faces his sternest test of the season this afternoon