Champions League - Wenger: Arsenal can conquer

Eurosport - Tue, 30 Sep 19:33:00 2008

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal must show they have the potential to win the Champions League when they take on Porto at the Emirates Stadium.

FOOTBALL Arsenal Samir Nasri - 0

The Gunners are out to bounce back from losing 2-1 at home to Hull City on Saturday, and manager Wenger believes his players can prove the result was a one-off.

"We had a disappointing result against Hull but I have been sitting on the bench long enough to know that if we'd played that match 100 times we'd lose it once," he said.

"I believe we will win tonight. We want to make sure we win and get the right belief into the game.

"Everybody says we should not have any chance of winning the Champions League but I believe we have enough quality to do it and that is what we want to show tonight."

Midfielder Samir Nasri returns to the squad having been out with a knee injury since August.

Alex Song (hip) joins Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Abou Diaby (thigh), Amaury Bischoff (groin) and striker Eduardo (leg) in the treatment room.

Defender Kolo Toure said that unrealistic expectations might have proved Arsenal's undoing against Hull.

"I was scared to play the game," he said. "Sometimes people, not the players, play the game before it's started and that's a problem because there are no small teams in the Premiership.

"Against Man United everybody thinks it's going to be a tight game but when you play against Hull it's harder because you are expected to win and score in the first minute. But it doesn't happen like that.

"We didn't play very well against Fulham and then we came back well in the next game when we beat Twente in the Champions League [qualifiers].

"For a team like Arsenal it's always good to have a good reaction. Any team can fall down but it's about how they react to defeat that matters. Tomorrow is a really good test and we will see if we can show another face.

"The manager, like everyone at the club, was very upset after Hull. We're professional and we know that when we play for Arsenal we can't afford to lose like that."

Team Talk / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 14 of 14

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  1. guys get a grip on the comments for one fans dnt win games and you all are just haters keep hating

    From dercute, on Wed 1 Oct 3:27PM

  2. Wenger talked of reshufle ,how do you reshuffle the only players u have,you failed to buy classic players,what the will you use,its a joke.gero

    From ghekinu, on Wed 1 Oct 7:51AM

  3. Well well, just goes to show everyone had written off HULL. I think Hull may just be better than people think. They are just that bit tougher up north, no wonder the over paid prima donas are SCARED.

    From jacy, on Tue 30 Sep 9:08PM

  4. Am surprised of toure. A professional player tellin us that he was and i believe still sacred of hull city.What will happen when we now play the big guys.He should better do somethin to impress us the fans

    From stanley n, on Tue 30 Sep 5:24PM

  5. Arsenal just don't have the bottle and sheer will to win the CL. They lack battling qualities. On top of this, the crowd at the Emirates is not like the Liverpool crowd. The Liverpool crowd have helped push Liverpool through this tournament on a number of occasions. Arsenal just don't have that. If Arsenal have to win a big game semi final against a good team I don't think their fans are going to be much help, unlike the Kopites at Anfield.

    From Kim S, on Tue 30 Sep 4:54PM

  6. Toure was scared of INJURY which would have put him out for tonights game,I seriously dont think he was scared of losing against Hull this early in the season either.Arsene has not (by the way the FA cup is held on European soil so that counts as Cup won in Europe HALA THIs not too mention the premiership etc.) won the European cup thanks to decisions that went the wrong way Liverpool case in point and Lehman's red should have been a yellow to name but a few.You cant fault the man for not winning the cup yet, other clubs have spent more on one player than he has on all his players in a 10 year period. Still missing Eduardo,Rosicky,Song,Diaby and the new young fella Vela could do the job proper this or next season. I am in no hurry because the play the beatifull game oh so beautifully.

    From ruggers, on Tue 30 Sep 3:16PM

  7. WMD and fallinhardon - before you launch into your tirades, why don't you consider that it may have been a language issue. What Toure says is being translated in his mind from his own language into English - so maybe he didn't literally mean that he was scared of Hull, perhaps he meant apprehensive (still not good if you're playing for a top club, but a lot better than scared!).
    Hala THIS! - you're right that Wenger has not won anything in Europe, but he has been runner up of the Cup Winners' Cup with Monaco and of the Champions League and UEFA Cup with Arsenal. I don't think its a huge stretch of the imagination to say that he could go one step better in his career.

    From PAUL, on Tue 30 Sep 2:10PM

  8. WMD thanks for the comment, I honestly agree with you, Toure needs to sort himself out, am not sure if this is a sign of ageing maybe he can hang his boot up. "I was scared ha! typical joker, true gunners dont want to hear that nonesense

    From c, on Tue 30 Sep 1:07PM

  9. Does anybody in his right mind actually believe that Wenger can win the CL for Arsenal ? For the record, Wenger has been coaching for almost 28 years and he has NEVER won anyhting in Europe !!

    From Tim, on Tue 30 Sep 12:19PM

  10. arsenals own baby shaped assassin nasri!!!!!

    From chicken salad, on Tue 30 Sep 8:07AM

  11. Ades Sick!

    From fran.andy1@..., on Mon 29 Sep 7:51PM

  12. "I was scared to play the game"!?!?!!?!?! Sort it out Toure, what are you talking about. YOU PLAY FOR ARSENAL!!!!! not Accrington Stanley. Have some balls. Poor concentration and motivation caused you to loose a valuable 3 points. If your scared of Hull city hang up your boots, there's bigger and better to come.

    From WMD, on Mon 29 Sep 7:20PM

  13. Arsenal will be better with Nasri. he is a very smart player, and he doesn't waste chances like V Persie and Ade

    From tom h, on Mon 29 Sep 6:51PM

  14. I think Nasri being in the team will definitely boost the Arsenal squad. He'll add width to the squad.

    Come on you gunnerz !!!!!!!!!

    From thoko25, on Mon 29 Sep 6:23PM
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