Uefa Champions League: Arsene Wenger, undeterred by two successive away defeats in the Premiership, yesterday underscored his belief in his side with the claim that Arsenal can win the Champions League this season.
Critics might tell the Frenchman that he is ignoring the evidence of his own eyes.
Patrick Vieira is gone, Thierry Henry is injured - for six weeks, it was announced yesterday - and Dennis Bergkamp is fading. Arsenal, then, would appear to have no right to believe that their name will be etched on the European Cup next May. Yet Wenger believes their status as underdogs to be their strength.
"We are the only team in the top hat who hasn't won it but I think we can do it this year," said Wenger. "I believe in my squad, but there are 10 or 12 teams who could do it and you can get an outsider. We want to be an outsider this year. If I asked you if Liverpool could win it last year then you would say 'no'. But if Liverpool can win it, then we can win it, too." The same presumably applies to the 2004 winners Porto, but the critical difference between Arsenal and the last two European champions is that the Londoners have never won it before. "If I feel we can't do it this year then why play the competition?" Wenger asked.
The answer is obvious: cash. The Gunners groan under the fiscal weight of their Emirates Stadium, and the Champions League is vital to their financial planning. How he must long for the comfort of a 25-international first-team squad to weather whatever storm might come his way. "We have never won it, but we are not as bad as everyone says because we are among the top seeds and it's not easy to be in there," he said. Indeed, so far Wenger's labour is being undertaken in benign conditions and his Group B opponents, Sparta Prague, Ajax and Thun, might have been hand-picked.
Fewer than 10 years ago, tonight's opponents Thun were playing in a semi-professional league in their Swiss homeland and, though they are a little-known quantity, Wenger will be relieved not to have to make a third trip in seven years to Dynamo Kiev. Perhaps disturbingly for Wenger, the Ukraine side, who won both Arsenal visits to their stadium, were unable to overcome the Swiss league's runners-up and lost 3-2 on aggregate.
"We are super-favourites on Wednesday and we are favourites in our group," said the Arsenal manager. "We have more potential than Thun and it's down to us to show that. On the other hand don't forget that they have created huge upsets in Europe.
They knocked Dynamo Kiev out, they beat Malmo and if you play tomorrow against Malmo you know it won't be an easy game. For Thun it will be the game of the century, therefore for us it will be very important to have a high tempo in the game. We must not think, 'It is Thun so we will win'." Such complacency might have been at the root of Arsenal's failure to record a ninth consecutive Premiership win over Middlesbrough on Saturday. To guard against it, Wenger is expected to recall Sol Campbell ahead of the hapless PascalCygan. "Sol is back to normal fitness. He's working hard, focused and motivated," said Wenger. For Arsenal fans looking for new cheer, those will be welcome words.
Arsenal v FC Thun Highbury, 7.45 On TV: Sky Sports Xtra
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
ARSENAL (4-4-2): Almunia; Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole; Ljungberg, Fabregas, Gilberto, Pires; Bergkamp, Reyes.
FC THUN (5-4-1): Jakupovic; Orman, Hodzic, Milicevic, Leandro, Goncalves; Bernardi, Ferreira, Aegerter, Gerber; Lustrinelli.
Referee: G Gilewski (Poland).
Guardian Service
