Camden New Journal - Sports: We're afraid of no one, says wenger

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Camden New Journal - by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 13 March 2008

We’re afraid of no one, says Wenger

Gunners boss is confident that his boys can take on and beat Europe’s best

GUNNERS boss Arsene Wenger does not fear anybody in Friday’s crunch Champions League quarter-final draw because he thinks Arsenal have the mental strength to take on and beat Europe’s finest.
He said his team, which has always fallen short in the Champions League in the past, had “grown up” with their
2-0 win against AC Milan in the San Siro last week and now have the confidence to go all the way.
The Gunners could be paired with English rivals Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea at the draw in Switzerland but would probably rather take on the unfancied Turkish team Fenerbache or Schalke from Germany.
Whoever Arsenal get Wenger reckons his team are up to the challenge of finally winning Europe’s top prize.
“We have a very young team but they’ve now won at the Bernabeu and they have won at the San Siro and you need some quality to do that – so why shouldn’t we be confident?” he said. “We have the mental strength to play without any restriction. The players have grown.”
Wenger added: “You have to take the Champions League as a cup competition. One day we are better than Milan but if we played them again on Friday they might be better than us.
“Whoever you play, we must go for it.”
Having dumped out the defending champions, Wenger’s fighting talk suggests he might even fancy his chances of revenge against former striker Thierry Henry’s Barcelona, who beat Arsenal in the final two years ago.
The other team in the final eight is Roma.
Wenger has been frustrated to see his team draw three times in a row in the Premiership, frittering away a five point advantage over Manchester United.
He had hoped the win against Milan would settle his players until they were brought down to earth with a 0-0 draw at Wigan on Sunday.
“I always expect the best of my team but it has been a growing process.
“It’s like a wave. Sometimes we go up but then have two or three bad results and you go down – but with a result like that against Milan it goes higher than before.
“A match like that has huge significance and gives the players confidence for the rest of the competition. It was such an important game for the players to see how good they are.”

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