Arnold: "TSG have enormous quality"

Maximilian, Wolfsburg have recently beaten Leipzig and Frankfurt. How much self-belief did those wins give you?

"Definitely more than we would've got from two winless games. But I can't really say just yet how much [self-belief] we have. We've had two eventful years. But we're back on the right track."

In Hoffenheim, you're about to face another strong footballing side. Do such teams suit VfL?

"It seems that way at present and I hope that continues at the weekend. You need to be solid against such strong attacking teams – and we're managing that at the moment. We're working meticulously, defensively too. That's the key at the moment."

Are there other reasons as to why Wolfsburg are significantly better positioned this season than in recent years?

"There are a lot of factors that have played a role. We had a full pre-season with the coaching staff and we've signed some new players who haven't experienced being in the relegation play-offs in the last two seasons. Then there's the fact that the players who were already here are on good form. So far, we've been working hard and intensively – and we need to continue to do so if we're to be successful."

"TSG are a very strong footballing side"

Hoffenheim have consistently invested large sums too, but they're not getting their reward on the international stage at present. What do you make of TSG?

"TSG are a very strong footballing side. Their performances in the Champions League have been REALLY promising. Even if they haven't always got the results they wanted, you could see that TSG have enormous quality. In Joelinton they've signed a very good centre-forward, and they have other important players such as Kramaric, Vogt and Demirbay in their squad. But even though TSG are a difficult opponent to face, we're playing at home and we want to win."

Wolfsburg have only won twice at home this season. Is that a concern for VfL?

"That's not an issue for us. Obviously, we want to get back to winning more matches at home, especially for our fans. But the main thing is to win games in general. That's all that matters."

Things are going well for VfL, so has qualification for Europe become a target?

"Personally, that hasn't crossed my mind. I've experienced the past two seasons. We need to stay grounded. We can't suddenly say after three or four good games that we're ready for Europe. Everyone at this club needs to understand that, [to think] anything else would be unreasonable. We want to have a solid season and not be drawn into a relegation battle. Then we'll see what is possible."

Match facts and statistics »