Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Wenger wants to finish at summit
ARSENE Wenger is looking to guide Arsenal through to the latter stages of the Champions League as winners of Group A and exonerate himself on any guilt later on in the competition.
The Gunners can assure themselves of top spot with victory over Paris St Germain this evening as t hey strive to avoid other European heavyweights in the draw for the round of 16.
Qualification into the knockout stages was assured with a 3-2 win against Ludogorets i n Sofia a fortnight ago but, having not made it past the round of 16 for the past six years, they are aiming to finish as group winners for the first time since 2012.
With the likes of Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid both competing in Group D, while Borussia Dortmund and holders Real Madrid do battle in Group F, the concept of getting an easier opponent in the round of 16 by topping the group and, therefore facing a runner-up may be outdated, but Wenger does not want to be at fault if Arsenal land a tricky fixture.
“I feel guilty when we finish second and have a difficult tie,” conceded Wenger.
“Let’s finish first and at least we have the advantage to play the second game at home. Hopefully, we will be injury free and have everyone available.
“You want to finish first, knowing that. Is there an actual difference? I don’t know. In a group of Real Madrid or Dortmund. The other groups might look at ours and think: Paris St Germain or Arsenal who is better? I don’t know.”
The Champions League trophy has eluded Wenger during his twodecade reign at Arsenal but, with his current contract ending i n the summer and his future still unclear, he believes English clubs are closing in on the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Asked if Premier League clubs were closing the gap, the Frenchman replied: “I feel that, yes.
“Man City winning against Barcelona, we have an opportunity to show it against Paris St Germain.
“Everywhere you go, the difference in the Champions League, the teams all play football. In the Premier League, even if you have 80% possession, you can still lose the game.”
Wenger’s side go into the game with injuries ruling out Hector Bellerin, Santi Cazorla, Per Mertesacker, Danny Welbeck and Lucas Perez.