Arsene Wenger has said that Arsenal will rise above any protests by fans at Saturday's Premier League match against Blackburn at the Emirates.

Some Gunners fans have planned to cover empty seats in black bin liners to highlight the apparent decreasing attendance at home matches.

Asked about the protests, Wenger said: "I feel we have to be above that and show our quality on the football pitch and not respond to every individual provocation."

The North London club have insisted that attendance at their last three home league games have been in excess of 60,000, just short of the 60,432 capacity.

However, it is believed that the figures released are based on tickets sold, not actual physical entry into the ground.

"Ideally I want everybody to be completely happy and over the moon," added Wenger. "But we live in a world where you have to accept that not everybody reacts the same."

Read Sports Mole's preview of Saturday's encounter here.