CESC Fabregas is fed up with having to field questions on Arsenal title credentials – win or lose – and maintains the only answer which matters will come at the end of the season.

The Gunners moved back up into second place in the Premier League following Sunday’s 3-0 win over ten-man Manchester City at Eastlands.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels the result – which sees Arsenal five points behind leaders Chelsea –will lift confidence within his squad, which had faced questions of their title credentials after successive defeats before the international break.

Wenger also talked about the team’s growing maturity, patience and intelligence as the Gunners made the most of Dedryck Boyata’s early dismissal with goals from Samir Nasri, Alex Song and substitute Nicolas Bendtner, even affording a penalty miss by captain Fabregas.

The World Cup winner, though, has heard it all before – and insists May will be the only time to judge.

‘‘It looks like after every win you have to say ’oh, you are more mature than last year’, but it is just one more game, let’s not get carried away,’’ Fabregas told Arsenal TV Online.

‘‘Now we have the Carling Cup game against Newcastle, which is the most important one at the moment.

‘‘The time to talk about if we have matured or are better than before will be at the end of the season.

‘‘In football, you know what people will say when you win, and you know what people will say when you lose.

‘‘You just have to keep focused on what you do, in training and in the game, give everything for the team and the rest is not up to you.

‘‘We have a very good team, with lots of young players. We have to make it a great time by winning things.’’ Arsenal now head to Newcastle for tomorrow night’s Carling Cup fourth-round tie.

Wenger had named a strong squad for the win at Tottenham in the previous round, and is expected to again as the Gunners boss targets a first trophy success since 2005.

Bendtner and fit-again Theo Walcott could be included at St James’ Park, while centre-half Laurent Koscielny was an unused substitute against City as he recovers from a back problem.

Youngsters Henri Lansbury, who scored his first senior goal at White Hart Lane, and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a reported loan target for npower Championship leaders QPR, could make the squad