BUCHAREST (AFP) - Arsene Wenger has challenged in-form Arsenal to emulate the club's historic 'invincibles' by going on an epic unbeaten run.

Wenger knows what it takes to achieve perfection in football after building the famous team that went 49 league matches without losing.

The French coach believes his side's hard-fought 1-0 win at Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League on Tuesday is proof that the Gunners' current crop have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of the 2003-04 vintage.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions and Robin van Persie's late goal in Romania clinched a ninth consecutive victory.

Wenger has been adamant that the Premier League leaders can roll their sleeves up and grind out a win just as easily as they produce the eye-catching moves that makes them the most attractive side in Europe.

And the way they emerged unscathed from an exacting Group H examination against Steaua underlined that point.

Now Wenger is convinced something special is taking shape at the Emirates Stadium.

"It says something about the focus of the team," he said. "Even though it was not the most glamorous of games, we had good focus and good team display. Overall the team is hungry.

"That is now our challenge, how long can we extend this run?

How can we try to be inspired by that kind of consistency, but it is too early to compare a run like we did before.

"In 49 and nine, there is 40 games difference. Let's go step by step and try to win the next game, which is Sunderland at home."

After so many dazzling exhibitions of the beautiful game from Arsenal in the first weeks of the campaign, this was an example of winning ugly.

Steaua proved a tougher nut to crack than expected, but Wenger's team refused to give in and got their rewards eventually.

Arsenal have often gone missing in action when they travel to Eastern Europe, with Wenger admitting his team sometimes find it hard to get motivated for these less glamorous assignments.

That looked to be the case again in the early stages.

When Romeo Surdu whipped in a cross from the left, Valentin Badea should have done better than nod tamely over from bar. Then, in the seventh minute, Surdu had the ball in Manuel Almunia's net, only to see his header ruled out for offside.

Steaua, who had never lost at home to English opposition, nearly fell behind when goalkeeper Robinson Zapata almost carried Gael Clichy's deflected cross over his own goal-line.

It took an alert clearance from Arsenal's Kolo Toure to deny Nicolae Dica after his lob looped over Manuel Almunia midway through the second half.

Steaua should have taken the lead in the 71st minute. Victoras Iacob beat Arsenal's hesitent offside trap and bore down on Almunia, only to drag his shot woefully wide.

That miss proved decisive. Wenger's side finally pieced together an incisive attack in the 76th minute and made it count in ruthless style.

Adebayor's cross from left side of the penalty area cut out four Steaua defenders and reached van Persie, who drove a perfect shot high past Zapata.

It was van the Dutch forward's second winner in four days after his strike sealed the points at West Ham on Saturday.

The patient way Arsenal tried to wear down the Romanians pleased Wenger almost as much as the result.

Where they would often become frustrated if the game didn't go their way a year ago, now there is a new maturity to the likes of van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor.

"Patience is linked with maturity and we were conscious of that at half-time," Wenger said.

"We felt superior and we were but as long as you do not score you must not become too nervous or impatient, and therefore open to the counter attack.

"We kept going, were intelligent and in the end scored the goal which gave us a deserved win."