LONDON -- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger doesn't believe Sunderland counterpart David Moyes is still suffering from his experience at Manchester United, and praised Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe for his "absolutely amazing" longevity.
Moyes is back in the Premier League for the first time since he was fired by Man United in 2014, just 10 months after taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson. He then spent less than a year at Real Sociedad in an unsuccessful spell in Spain before being hired by Sunderland this summer.
He is under pressure again, however, with Sunderland bottom of the table having taken just two points from nine games and speculation is growing his job could be under threat, but Wenger said he didn't think the disappointment at United has affected Moyes' results since.
"Once you are out of an experience you go into the next one and focus only on giving your best for your new club," Wenger said. "Why should he not have recovered? You dwell on it when you sit at home and have no job, but once you have a job you focus on doing the best where you are."
Arsenal travel to face Sunderland on Saturday as massive favourites, but Wenger said facing a Moyes team is always difficult.
"David Moyes is an experienced manager who has 15 seasons in the Premier League so I think he will adapt to the strength of his team and organise it so that it defends very well and can catch us on the breaks and situations where they have set pieces," Wenger said, adding that Defoe is the team's "main danger."
Defoe, 34, joined Sunderland last year after a spell in with Toronto FC in MLS and played a crucial part in helping the team survive relegation.
"Honestly, you have to admire Defoe for what he has done," Wenger said. "Because you think when a guy like him at his age moves to the United States that it was the end for him in the Premier League.
"And he came back, had a huge impact and certainly it is down to him that Sunderland stayed in the league last year. And there must be a big passion behind that. I don't know him well but he is absolutely amazing."