Wenger remains downbeat
19 Feb 2008 - 13:46:35
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has played down his side's chances of beating AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Gunners take on the Rossoneri in the first leg of their hugely-anticipated clash at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, but Wenger believes his injury-ravaged side will start the game as underdogs.
He admitted: "They have the experience and won it last year. We are an upcoming team, so it is a big challenge against the holders of the trophy.
"For me we have the toughest draw of the English teams and this game will define whether or not we can win the Champions League.
"On the other hand two years ago we played Real Madrid and went through.
"Last year we played Eindhoven but went out. It's very difficult to predict what's going to happen.
"The only thing we do know is that, if you don't play at your best against Milan, you're out."
Wenger believes Mathieu Flamini will have a key part to play in the game, saying of the in-form Frenchman: "He has a similar style to Gattuso because of his size and the fact he's always up for it.
"Mathieu is mentally strong and is a winner. Players who never give up mentally always improve. He's responsible for the tempo in our game and he's key to that on Wednesday."