Arsenal challenged to make history against Barcelona

Posted Wednesday, March 31, 2010 by theguardian.com

Arsenal challenged to make history against Barcelona
Arsène Wenger will give Cesc Fábregas until the very last moment to prove his fitness for the Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona.

Arsène Wenger has challenged his Arsenal team to "make history" in the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona tonight and prove to the club's critics that they can beat the biggest opposition when it matters most.

The Arsenal manager, who will give Cesc Fábregas right up until tonight's warm-up to prove his fitness following a knee injury, has on occasion expressed concerns over his side's psychological weaknesses in big games, having lost twice to both Manchester United and Chelsea this season.

But Wenger sees an opportunity for his players to come of age against the defending Spanish and European champions and he yesterday articulated the conviction that Arsenal could take a critical and difficult step towards silverware tonight.

"The opinions [of critics] are there to be changed and what changes the opinions is the performances," he said, ahead of tonight's first leg at the Emirates Stadium. "What is good in sport is that people assess continuously something that looks to be definite but actually is moving always. And what moves the opinions of people is how well we play.

"I believe we have changed the opinions of many people in England since July and now, until the end of the season, it's about how we will turn up. We want to show that we can beat the very best and I am convinced that a big part of our success against Barcelona is in the belief we will show.

"We can make history in kicking Barcelona out. We are on a great run, and have a great spirit and togetherness. The ingredients are there to deliver something special so let's not be too much in respect of them, be brave and have a real go."

The fixture is one for the purists and Wenger reassured them that his team know only one way to play. Chelsea almost got the better of Barcelona in last season's semi-final, having played a disciplined, containing game yet an attempt by Arsenal to imitate them would be foolish.

"Chelsea are a team with a lot of experience who can stick to 90 minutes' discipline because they are all 28, 29, 30," Wenger said. "It is mentally demanding when you don't touch the ball that you don't lose your confidence. Chelsea did a great job in fairness on that but we would be a bit destabilised to give Barcelona completely the ball."

William Gallas, who has carried a troublesome calf injury, took part in training yesterday to raise hopes that he could play his first game since 10 February and line up with Thomas Vermaelen in central defence, at the same time as Paris St-Germain made their latest attempt to persuade the Frenchman to join them as a free agent at the end of the season. They, who have a long-standing interest in Gallas, are believed to have met him in Saint-Raphaël during his injury rehabilitation and want to offer him a two-year contract.

Wenger said he would give Fábregas as much time as possible to prove his fitness. The manager remains angry at the challenge by the Birmingham City midfielder Craig Gardner on Saturday which inflicted the damage on Fábregas's knee. "I just believe that you should analyse the tackle again and [then] you are not surprised that Cesc is injured," he said. "It was the [trailing] left leg that injured Cesc and I don't know that the guy who tackles needs the left foot.

"The lucky thing for Cesc was that he [Gardner] didn't go for the ball. Cesc told me that he saw that. If you show me in slow motion that it was a regular tackle and show me why, then I am ready to accept it. But it wasn't."