Wenger challenges his Arsenal kids to make history

Arsene Wenger last night challenged his Arsenal players to make history and overcome the odds in the Champions League.

Arsenal have never overturned a first leg deficit in the Champions League and have managed it only once in nine European ties in 31 years.

That was way back in 1978 when they defeated Hadjuk Split after losing away from home and now have a similar task in front of them against Porto tonight.

Wenger admits the Champions League return leg is on a knife edge but believes his young side can overcome Porto and close in on a remarkable European and Premier League Double.

Arsenal face a huge task without injured captain Cesc Fabregas but Wenger is convinced that his emerging team has enough quality and strength in depth to deliver the club’s first trophies in five years.

Wenger said: “We have a good opportunity, we have good chances to make history. We are very young but we are in a very strong position, we want to win.

“I believe we are in a position where we want to go for both, not in a position where we can make any choice. We want to do well in both competitions.

“To score away from home is still a massive advent in UEFA rules, that is why we are confident that we can do it. We have scored, that is a massive difference.

“To lose 1-0 would have been a terrible result. It’s completely different. We know it’s a tricky game. But we believe we can do it, we have good confidence. We are in a good position so let’s just go for it.”

But Wenger revealed that Arsenal have not practised penalties specifically for tonight, even though a shoot-out is a strong possibility.

“Any scenario that qualifies us is positive,” said Wenger. “We always practise penalties in training, but the day before a game is not the best.

“It can have negative consequences if you miss. We didn’t practice the day before in Roma. Let’s qualify without penalties.”

Arsenal will again field a patched-up side against Porto, with Sol Campbell deputising for William Gallas and Samir Nasri likely to fill Fabregas’ central midfield role as playmaker.

But at least Arsenal have first choice keeper Manuel Almunia back after he missed the first leg which saw reserve keeper Lukasz Fabianski concede twice after awful mistakes.

Arsenal are still favourites with the bookies to progress, but they will have to rely on misfiring striker Nicklas Bendtner to come up with the goals at the Emirates.

Bendtner missed a hat-trick of sitters against Burnley on Saturday and Wenger admits that he had a word with the super-confident Danish forward in training yesterday and is confident he will be back to his best.

Wenger said: “You cannot fault him on confidence. He is one who can take remarks and criticism and analyse it without being offended. He has not fooled himself. He knows that he could have scored.

“People take a lot from the negative side of his confidence, but he has a positive side as well. He can face his problems and analyse it and change his behaviour.

“Nicklas is on the way up in his overall game contribution to the team performance, but he missed big chances on Saturday.

“It is something that is needed for any young striker, he isolates the factor as to why he missed and gets it right into the next game. I’m convinced that he is really improving at the moment.

“He has good mental strength, I’m sure it will not diminish his desire or confidence to go into the next game. I’ve spoken about it with him, but I don’t think it is necessary to say here what we spoke about.”

Bendtner added: “I missed some great chances in one match, but before that I scored in three matches in a row for Arsenal and Denmark.

“I have just returned from injury, and overall things could not be any better for me. The most important thing on Saturday was not, whether I scored or not, but that we won as a team.

“I felt that the Arsenal fans really got behind me and supported me, because I tried to give everything I had. I was just not lucky with my finishes in that game, but sometimes it is like that.”

Wenger also hinted that Nasri will fill Fabregas’ void. “You ask any player and they all want to play in the middle,” smiled Wenger. “Samir can do that and also has the pace to play down the flanks.”

Arsenal are the first of the three English teams left in the Champions League to play their return leg.

Wenger’s task is the same as Chelsea’s to overturn a 2-1 defeat away from home while Manchester United have a seemingly easier second leg, having won at AC Milan.

But Wenger remains convinced that Arsenal can be trailblazers for the English trio and he expects all of them to reach the quarter finals.

Wenger added: “Yes, it will be hard. Man United should not have a big problem to go through. Chelsea and Arsenal will be tight games but I think we can both make it.”