Wenger: We can overtake Liverpool
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger maintains he has not given up hope of overhauling Liverpool to secure their place in the Champions League next season.
The Gunners head into Sunday’s clash at Highbury currently in fifth place, some 11 points adrift of the Reds.
However, Wenger feels his side are coming of age following an impressive, all-round battling display over two legs against Real Madrid which secured their passage into the last eight of Europe’s elite club competition.
Liverpool surrendered their grip on the trophy when they lost to Benfica on Wednesday night, and Wenger believes the Gunners will be full of confidence ahead of Sunday’s showdown in north London.
“We want to finish in the top four and we have a good opportunity to show that,” the Arsenal manager declared.
“We have just won at Fulham and we want to come back into a position where we can go in front of Tottenham and we want to take that opportunity on Sunday against Liverpool, who are in the same position as us because they played on Wednesday night.
“They had a disappointment, so we have a little advantage on the psychological side.”
Wenger insisted: “I am convinced it can only give strength to believe a little bit now.
“We believe we will come back in the top four – and I believe we can even catch Liverpool.”
While catching Rafael Benitez’s men may perhaps be a tall order, Arsenal could nevertheless move within two points of Spurs – who play champions elect Chelsea - with victory this weekend.
And by the time of the final north-London derby at Highbury on April 22, roles may well be reversed.
Should, however, Spurs hold off the Gunners to secure fourth spot and Arsenal eventually win the Champions League, then under UEFA rules it would be Wenger’s men who entered the competition again next season – a precedent set following Liverpool’s stunning triumph last May.
Wenger reflected: “I do not think it is right or wrong, they made that decision before the season started.
“Unfortunately that does not make Tottenham supporters of our Champions League campaign, but that would not have happened anyway!”
However, the Arsenal boss maintained: “But first of all we have not won the Champions League yet, so we do not face that problem, and secondly Tottenham are not fourth yet.
“We want to finish on top of Tottenham, there is still a long way to go any are still enough points left to do that.”
Despite their disappointment at losing on Wednesday night, Wenger felt Madrid conducted themselves with great “class”.
He said: “Two sides played with a great spirit and I must take my hat off to Real Madrid.
“After the game, they behaved with class, and you cannot say that about everybody at that level. I don’t really mean anybody special. I just mean as a club, even we at Arsenal can learn from that.
“They were graceful, they congratulated us, the chairman came down and wished us good luck.
“They have shown class and it is good to see that the biggest club in the world can show that kind of class against a team with young players.
“Sometimes they could be bitter, but we can learn from that.”
Wenger must again do without England defender Sol Campbell this weekend as the 31-year-old recovers from an ankle injury.
The centre-back came in for criticism this week from World Cup winner Jack Charlton, which the Arsenal boss rejected.
“I do not think he is past it,” said Wenger.
“He has played in February, and I think he will be available for Juventus.”
Wenger added: “Sol is good. He has to play one or two internal games and then we will see how he is.
“He is very good and very focused. Mentally there is no problem.”
