As he looks forward to the first of two titanic Champions League tussles with Manchester United, Arsene Wenger has backed his young side to find the game to overcome the reigning Premiership champions in pursuit of a first Champions League trophy.

Wednesday’s visit to Old Trafford will be an intriguing affair, Sir Alex was at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to witness the Gunners’ comfortable 2-0 win over Middlesbrough, and the Scot will have seen an unfamiliar Arsenal starting formation. Wenger however was in jocular mood when asked about his old nemesis.

“I thought he was coming to watch Middlesbrough,” smiled Wenger, before jokingly referring Ferguson’s favourite tipple.  “We have good red wine in the directors’ box.”

Ferguson saw Wenger elect for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Denilson and Samir Nasri were deep in front of the back four, with Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas advanced and in support of Nicklas Bendtner. It worked well and Wenger revealed that he could adopt the same formation come Wednesday night.

“ Usually Fabregas plays deeper and Nasri higher. I wanted to test how he plays deeper and Fabregas higher, and it could be a re-created, we could do it again because we were quite convincing.” Whatever formation he finally elects to start with, he Gunners boss predicts a quality game between two of the country’s best teams, both of which Ferguson will be familiar with.

“He knows us and I believe that what he will think is that it will be an exciting game between two teams who try to play and know each other well. The talent on the pitch always surprises you, I think both teams will go for it and it should be an exciting game.

“I believe that what is important on Wednesday night is that we are at our best. When we are at our best we can beat everybody, let focus on us and not speculate on Manchester United, because they have the experience. But if we play at our best we have a good chance and we can do it.  We will be faithful to the game we play. We will go like we go everywhere in Europe and try to win the game. ”

Wenger will look to his revitalised captain Cesc Fabregas who is hitting the kind of form that has been sadly lacking for much of this season.

“I believe he was absolutely outstanding. He gets sharper and sharper from game to game. He was out for three months; you don’t come back straightaway to your best. No he gets better and better in every game. Every player who plays in midfield thinks he’s an offensive player; a creative player needs to score to goals,” noted Wenger after Fabregas’s Sunday brace.

With a comfortable ten points gap between Arsenal and fifth placed Aston Villa, Wenger accepts that fourth place and possibly beyond is realistic in the Premiership, but for now, all of his focus will be on Wednesday as he issued a rallying call to his young side to produce a big performance on the big European stage.

“If you go to Old Trafford without belief, you make it difficult from the start. We’ll go there with belief, with desire, and with enjoyment as well because we enjoy being where we are and we will give absolutely everything to do it.”

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•   |2009-04-29 15:24:06 I Khan
  I think Manchester United will win as they have mo re depth
  Reply

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