Arsenal To Face Holders Milan In Champions League

Arsenal will face last season's champions of Europe, AC Milan, in the first knockout round of the Champions League. The Gunners, who finished second in their group, arguably drew the toughest team in the competition.

The other teams who Arsenal could have been matched with were Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Porto.

Arsenal will take on the holders at home on Wednesday February 20th, and at the San Siro on Tuesday March 4th, as Arsene Wenger's youngsters square up against one of Europe's biggest powers.

Last season, Arsenal was knocked out in this round after losing to PSV Eindhoven in a disappointing show. The Gunners will be hoping they show more class against a Milan side that is flourishing in Europe but stuttering in the Serie A.

Arsene Wenger was optimistic despite the tough draw.

"The draw is interesting and exciting," he said. "But do I believe that we can do it? Yes. AC can be really average in the championship but can raise their game on big occasions. That is something that is really surprising. They look invincible in Europe but beatable in Italy. They had an average championship last year and have again this year. We have to analyze what gets them there on the special occasion.

"Still I believe we can knock AC Milan out and why should we reduce our ambitions? As well, I believe my squad can improve until the end of February and beginning of March.

"What I would like my squad to do now is to focus on the Premier League and be in a comfortable position when we play Milan, so that, at that time, we can focus completely on the Champions League during these 15 days."

Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Match Preview

League leaders Arsenal take on 12th place Tottenham in the second North London derby of the season as the Gunners try to stay clear of Manchester United.

Arsenal beat Spurs 3-1 at White Heart Lane after coming back from a goal deficit. Tottenham will be trying to get revenge this time around at the Emirates, but will have a tough time, with the Gunners on a fine run of form.

Arsene Wenger's team beat Chelsea last weekend and Blackburn midweek, capping off a remarkable run of games after having initially struggled following a loss to Sevilla. The Gunners, who are still undefeated at home, are also sporting a virtually clean bill of health, with Theo Walcott the only doubt.

Tottenham have also been playing well though, defeating Manchester City twice and Portsmouth once in their past three games. It seems that Juande Ramos' appointment may finally be having the correct effect.

Spurs are missing Gareth Bale, their goalscorer in the 3-1 loss at White Heart Lane, as well as Benoit Essou-Ekotto, but Anthony Gardner should be fit in time for Saturday. Ledley King could also see his first action in the Premier League after a long injury layoff.

Arsenal will field their full-strength lineup for the first time in quite a while this Saturday, and the team picks itself.

Manuel Almunia will start in goal, high on confidence after an impressive performance against Chelsea last week.

In front of him Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy will try to stop the likes of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

The Arsenal midfield, which should boss around Spurs in the center of the park, will include Tomas Rosicky, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, and Alex Hleb.

Up front lanky Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor will be joined by his preferred strike partner Robin van Persie for the first time since the Dutchman picked up an injury on international duty with the Netherlands. The pair were prolific before van Persie's injury, and will be hoping to reach their prior form again on Saturday.

Although the return of Ledley King could plug a leaky Tottenham defense, a full-strength Arsenal side will be tough to deal with at home, and I can't see Spurs going home with any points. I say 2-0 to Arsenal.

Arsenal vs. Steaua Bucharest: Match Review

Arsenal defeated Steaua Bucharest 2-1 at the Emirates, returning to their winning ways before a tough fixture against Chelsea on Sunday.

The victory, which saw the return from injury of Robin van Persie, was not enough to put the Gunners at the top of their group, meaning that they will have to face Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, or Porto in the knockout stages.

Lineups:
Arsenal: Jens Lehmann; Bacary Sagna, William Gallas, Philippe Senderos, Armand Traore; Abou Diaby, Alex Song, Neves Denilson, Theo Walcott; Robin van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner

Steaua Bucharest: Robinson Zapata; Ifeany Emeghara, Dorin Goian, Mihai Nesu, Ionut Rada; Vasilica Cristocea, Nicolae Dica, Florin Lovin, Ovidiu Petre; Valentin Badea, Adrian Neaga

Arsenal started brightly, with Theo Walcott in particular showing some of his promise.

The 18 year-old was on the receiving end of a beautiful pass from the fit-again Robin van Persie, but shot just wide after only two minutes of play.

A few minutes later he had his second chance of the game this time created by his own guile. Walcott skipped past two challenges, and into the box, but could only fire over the bar.

Arsenal's actions paid off soon enough though, as Abou Diaby returned from injury to score the Gunners' first goal.

Walcott was once again in the fray, passing to Bacary Sagna, who centered the ball with a low cross. Countryman Diaby took a touch to control, and then sent a powerful shot into the back of the net, giving Arsenal an early lead.

The tempo wound down a bit as the half wore on, with Steaua looked well beaten despite being only one goal behind. Jens Lehmann's return saw the German keeper as more of a spectator than anything else.

Arsenal had another chance around the 35 minute mark when Robin van Persie took a shot from near the penalty spot but saw his effort curl wide of the post.

The English team still looked the more likely team to score though, and it came as no surprise when Nicklas Bendtner stepped up to claim Arsenal's second of the night.

A perceptive pass from van Persie met Bendtner in the area, and the big Dane stepped over a challenge before coolly slotting home.

Arsenal were cruising in the second half, and still looked the more likely team to score. Bendtner almost grabbed a second, only for Steaua keeper Robinson Zapata to rush out of goal.

It was Steaua who found the back of the net last though, soon after van Persie made way for Eduardo.

A looping header from Dorel Zaharia beat Jens Lehmann to give the Romanian team a consolation goal.

They never looked like they could come back level with Arsenal though, and only wastefulness kept the Gunners only a goal ahead, as both Theo Walcott and Eduardo went clear in stoppage time.

The squad will have to show better composure in front of goal if they hope to beat Chelsea this Sunday.

Faltering Arsenal Need van Persie To Shine Against Chelsea

Arsenal went 21 games unbeaten this season before finally losing 3-1 to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The Gunners’ fine run of form included draws with both Manchester United and Liverpool, and victories over Sevilla and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Arsene Wenger’s young squad have only managed to pick up four points in their last three Premier League matches since losing top spot in Group H of the Champions League to the Sevillistas.

The loss to Middlesbrough has dampened the Gunners early-season hopes of winning the title and brought the depth of the Arsenal squad into question. It seems that Arsenal will need some impetus to get back to their winning ways.

That impetus could be the return of Robin van Persie.

The news of his return has rejuvenated Arsenal fans, who believe that the Dutch striker could be what Arsenal need to get back to the top of their game.

Although Emmanuel Adebayor is the Premier League’s joint top scorer this season, along with Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the big Togolese striker has, at times, looked separated from the team as a lone striker.

Van Persie and Adebayor had been forming a special bond prior to the Dutchman’s injury on international duty, and the lanky African has often stated his desire to play alongside him since the injury.

While Arsenal aren’t exactly short in the goals department having scored more goals than any other team so far this season, Van Persie can bring a lot to the table when Arsenal face Chelsea on Sunday.

While Didier Drogba was last season’s top scorer in the Premier League, his goals-to-games ratio was slightly lower than that of the injury-prone van Persie, who managed to score 11 goals despite starting in only 17 league games. His form continued into the current campaign, seeing him score five times in only seven games before injury struck.

All know about his goal-scoring abilities though. What people often forget is that Van Persie is more of a Dennis Bergkamp-esque player than an out-and-out striker.

The 24 year-old forward follows in the steps of his countryman and former team-mate, adding assists to goals, making him the complete forward. Last season van Persie tallied up seven assists in his 17 Premier League starts, an impressive number.

If you think Arsenal have been in top gear lately, just wait until you see them with a fully fit squad.

Van Persie is the man to watch as Arsenal prepare to face a Drogba-less Chelsea team (the Ivorian underwent knee surgery earlier this week), and could quite possibly be Arsenal’s top scorer this season even in spite of his injury troubles.

Arsenal vs. Steaua Bucharest: Match Preview

Steaua Bucharest travel to London this Wednesday as English giants Arsenal try to regain their winning form on home soil.

The Gunners lost their first match of the season in their last Champions League match away to Sevilla. Soon after, the squad lost their first Premier League game in a shock 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

While Arsenal have already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages, Arsene Wenger will be looking for a win to boost his side's confidence ahead of a tough Premier League clash against Chelsea.

The North London club could also go first in the group if they defeat Steaua and Sevilla falter in Prague.

Steaua have nothing to play for, as they are four points adrift of third-placed Slavia Prague, meaning that the Romanian team will be knocked out of European competition no matter Wednesday's results.

Arsene Wenger's young side will still have a tough time defeating Steaua though, especially considering the large number of injuries.

Arsenal will still be missing Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, although Abou Diaby and Robin van Persie will be in the squad for the first time in quite a while.

This leaves Arsene Wenger without too much choice, although he would likely want to change his squad from the one that lost at Middlesbrough.

Jens Lehmann is set to start his first game in goal for Arsenal since his high profile error at Blackburn on August 19.

Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Gael Clichy are the manager's undisputed first-choice back four. However, Justin Hoyte, Armand Traore, and maybe even Philippe Senderos could see some action as Wenger rest's his top players ahead of a congested fixture list.

In the midfield, Tomas Rosicky was the only player who had a decent game against Middlesbrough on Sunday, and he is likely to stay in the squad as the team's driving creative force.

The other positions are more difficult to place, but I would like to see Lassana Diarra and Neves Denilson alongside Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Eboue in a five man midfield.

If Abou Diaby is fully fit for the game, he would likely start in a more creative position instead of Denilson. However, he is more likely to come off of the bench like Robin van Persie, as he is unlikely to be match-fit.

This would leave space for Emmanuel Adebayor or Nicklas Bendtner to play alone up front, depending on how much Arsene Wenger is willing to risk.

Robin van Persie is going to be in the squad for the Steaua game, but he is unlikely to start, probably coming off the bench towards the end of the match.

Arsenal have already beaten Steaua Bucharest at home and I would be surprised (and disappointed) if we were to lose a home game against such relatively weak opponents.

I predict a 2-0 win for Arsenal, giving the team at least a small amount of momentum before the Chelsea challenge.

Arsenal Table Offer For Tresor Mputu

Congo striker Tresor Mputu's agent claims that Arsenal have made a concrete offer for the 21 year-old TP Mazembe star.

Mputu, who has scored 34 goals in 30 league games for his team, was in London on a 10 day trial which Arsene Wenger and Bajo Bujani, the player's agent, both considered to be successful.

Arsene Wenger's bid is reported to be around the £500,000 range, a great price for a player who has been called better than Cameroon and Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. Bujani says that TP Mazembe have until Monday to respond.

Mputu also seems to be attracting interest from Spanish side Sevilla, but Bujani believes that Arsenal are leading the race to sign the Congo forward, and could snatch his signature by this weekend.

"While Seville have also shown great interest, I believe Tresor will end up in England," said the agent.

"Arsenal have given TP Mazembe until Monday to respond to their offer.

"I'm convinced that the deal will be completed after the weekend."

If he does come, Mputu might be sent on loan, rather than forced to compete for a first-team spot with the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Eduardo, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela.

Sevilla vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Arsenal stuttered to their first defeat since April as a solid Sevilla side outplayed the Gunners to register a 3-1 win. This means that Sevilla are likely to top Champions League Group H after the final matchday. Arsenal will therefore have to face much tougher competition in the first knockout stage.

The news got worse too, as yet another Arsenal midfielder limped off the pitch soon after half time. Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal's undisputed best player so far this campaign, has been added to an injury list which already include midfielders Alex Hleb, Abou Diaby, and Mathieu Flamini.

Lineups:
Sevilla: Andres Palop; Dani Alves, Ivica Dragutinovic, Federico Fazio, Jose Angel Rincon; Adriano Correia, Jesus Navas, Seydou Keita, Christian Poulsen; Freddi Kanoute, Luis Fabiano

Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Kolo Toure, Armand Traore; Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas, Neves Denilson, Gilberto Silva, Eduardo da Silva; Nicklas Bendtner

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger took a big risk in resting many of his team's big names, and the gamble did not pay off. The defense looked weak from the start (with only Kolo Toure a regular member of the starting XI) and a lone Nicklas Bendtner up front was quite a risk, even with Eduardo prowling the left wing.

Nonetheless, Arsenal fans were looking forwards to another good show of the Gunners' strength in youth, and they thought they had it when Eduardo scored after only 11 minutes.

A Nicklas Bendtner cross met Eduardo in the penalty box, and the Croatian chested the ball down as Andres Palop rushed out of his goal. The Arsenal striker looked to have lost his chance by taking the ball too wide, but slotted home neatly from a very difficult angle, giving the away side the lead.

The bright lead didn't last too long, though, and Sevilla equalized in the 24th minute.

Philippe Senderos, who was in the squad in place of Arsenal's rested captain William Gallas, botched a clearance which fell to Jesus Navas. The Sevilla midfielder's cross was acrobatically cleared by Gilberto, but fell to Seydou Keita, who struck magnificently into the roof of Almunia's net as the keeper hopelessly tried to reach the ball.

The goal left Arsenal stunned, and as Sevilla started to gain more possession the Londoners conceded a second.

The on-form Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano neatly placed a glancing header into the corner of Almunia's net after a neat cross from countryman Dani Alves.

At 2-1 up, the Sevillistas were looking for revenge after their 3-0 loss at the Emirates earlier this season, but it was Arsenal who nearly drew level.

Bendtner laid a ball back to Eduardo, but his shot was deflected over the bar with goalkeeper Palop already out of the picture.

It was Sevilla's chance next, as Freddy Kanoute latched on to the rebound after a Fabiano shot was saved by Almunia. Fortunately for the Gunners the former Tottenham man hit his shot wide, letting Arsene Wenger's side go into halftime down 2-1.

Wenger must have given quite a half-time speech as a rejuvenated Arsenal side once again started brightly in the second half.

In the 50th minute Emmanuel Eboue looked to have won a penalty after a tough tackle from Christian Poulsen in the 18 yard box, but the referee waved play on.

It went downhill from there, as and injured Cesc Fabregas hobbled off the field five minutes later, replaced by Tomas Rosicky.

The referee gave Arsenal something back after a second Senderos error led to what may have been a handball in the box. The official pointed to the penalty spot only to reverse his decision seconds later in a moment of confusion which ended in a drop ball.

Sevilla couldn't be denied a penalty forever though, and they finally won one when Kolo Toure and substitute Bacary Sagna took Kanoute down in the box.

The Mali striker took sent the Arsenal keeper the wrong way, putting the match out of Arsenal's reach in the 89th minute.

It meant an end to Arsenal's club record unbeaten streak.

It couldn't be complained about though, as, for the first time this season, Arsenal were clearly outplayed.

Let's All Laugh At Tottenham

Martin Jol, the manager who brought Arsenal's cross-town rivals Tottenham Hotspur to two consecutive fifth place finishes in the Premier League quit today, following a home defeat to Getafe in the UEFA Cup.

Straight from the start, the Dutchman's future was in danger, with Spurs allegedly contacting Sevilla boss Juande Ramos to replace Jol. Tottenham's poor performances did little to alleviate the tension between him and Chairman Daniel Levy.

The club now finds itself in eighteenth place, in the relegation zone along with newly promoted Derby and Bolton Wanderers, another team to have recently sacked a boss. The boys from White Heart Lane have collected a rather pathetic seven points from ten games, continuing a poor run of form following their opening day loss to newly promoted Sunderland.

Tottenham also started off its UEFA Cup campaign on the wrong foot after losing 2-1 to Getafe at White Heart Lane.

However, of all of Tottenham's losses this season (and there have been a fair many) the one which would be most appreciated by Arsenal fans is the 3-1 loss suffered at the hands of our very own London-based team.

For those of you who don't remember the game, I'll give you a quick recap: Gareth Bale scored an early free kick goal after a nasty foul from Gilberto on the edge of the box, bringing the White Heart Lane faithful to their feet. Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side refused to give up of course, and after half time, a Fabregas double and a goal from Emmanuel Adebayor sealed an Arsenal victory.

And here's how the two teams stand now:

Arsenal: 1st in the league, 25 points from 9 games, 12 straight wins
Tottenham: 18th in the league, 7 points from 10 games, winless for 7 games

I'd have to say that the irony in the situation is bordering on hysterical. So-called football pundits proclaimed the downfall of the big four in British football, claiming that Tottenham would take the final Champions League spot out from the noses of last season's underachieving Gunners. Arsene Wenger was supposed to be the first coach to leave a club in the Premier League.

Nope. Arsene Wenger is firmly at the helm of an Arsenal team that is first in both the Premier League and the Champions League group. Spurs on the other hand are manager-less and in the relegation zone.

So, if you're having a bad day, have a little laugh at the expense of Tottenham.

Steaua Bucharest vs. Arsenal: Champions League Match Review

Match Preview

Arsenal became the first team to beat Steaua Bucharest in Romania today, thanks to a left-footed goal from Robin van Persie. The gunners kept their top spot in Group H on six points, three points ahead of nearest rivals Sevilla (who we beat 3-0 at the Emirates) and Slavia Prague. Steaua are on the bottom now, having yet to win any points.

The victory was hard-fought, and it seemed at points as though a goal would never come. Steaua defended brilliantly, with Eugen Baciu performing especially well. Nonetheless, a pull-back from Emmanuel Adebayor (who had been a doubt for the game) resulted in a Robin van Persie goal, securing three points for Arsene Wenger's boys.

Lineups:
Steaua Bucharest: Robinson Zapata; Eugen Baciu, Ifeany Emeghara, Petre Marin, Ionut Rada; Nicolae Dica, Banel Nicolita, Petre Ovidiu; Valentin Badea, Adrian Neaga, Romeo Surdu

Arsenal: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, Gael Clichy; Alex Hleb, Cesc Fabregas, Mathieu Flamini, Emmanuel Eboue; Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie

Both teams started well, and after only five minutes, Badea headed off-target after meeting a cross from Romeo Surdu. Three minutes later, Surdu offered up another great cross, which was headed into the back of the net by Badea, but ruled out for offsides.

Arsenal heeded this warning, and almost immediately scored a goal following the restart. Alex Hleb found Cesc Fabregas with a cut-back, but the in-form midfielder shot over Zapata's crossbar with a disappointing effort.

Emmanuel Adebayor put a lot of pressure on Steaua's backline, cutting the ball across Steau's six-yard box, only to find that nobody was there. However, while Arsenal were putting pressure on the Romanians, they could be accused of once again trying to walk the ball into the back of the net.

In the 31st minute Robin van Persie found Emmanuel Adebayor in the box, but the Togolese striker opted to cross rather than shoot when he had plenty of space.

Arsenal nearly had their first goal when a deflected cross from Gael Clichy was acrobatically kept out by Zapata. The Colombian was adjudged to have kept the ball out of the net, although it was a close call. I couldn't quite tell even from the replays, but at least 90% of the ball was over the line.

Zapata followed this up with another great save, as he silenced Mathieu Flamini to end the first half.

Manuel Almunia almost proved to be Arsenal's downfall when he made yet another poor decision in racing outside of his 18 yard box to clear with a header. The ball fell to the dangerous Nicolae Dica who chipped it goalwards from forty yards out only to see it cleared off the line by the heroic Kolo Toure.

Arsenal were struggling, and at times it seemed as though Arsene Wenger would have to settle for a point.

Steaua substitute Constantin Iacob nearly put the home side in the lead when he beat Arsenal's offside trap to find himself alone with Manuel Almunia. The Spanish keeper wasn't even forced to make a save though, as Iacob wasted the best chance of the game, smashing it high over the bar.

Arsenal finally got their goal though, as Emmanuel Adebayor cut the ball back for Cesc Fabregas. The young Spaniard failed to latch on to the ball, but it fell nicely for Robin van Persie who promptly struck the ball into the net from 12 yards out.

The visitors nearly got a second when Adebayor turned well, only to fire just over the crossbar. One goal was all they needed though, as they played keep ball for the rest of the game, limiting Steaua's chances.

Arsene Wenger should be happy with the resilience and skill of his youngsters, and the Arsenal board should be happy with the victory. 1-0 may not be the most flattering scoreline, but 3 points are 3 points, and Arsenal now sit comfortably on the verge of the knockout stages after only two games played.

Arsenal linked with three youngsters

The summer transfer window ended with the surprise last-minute signing of Lassana Diarra from Chelsea. Apparently the excitement of this move was not enough to quell rumors linking Arsenal with other players for the January transfer window.

Talking Soccer today linked Arsenal with three youngsters who are in the vein of players that Arsene Wenger would sign.

The first of these is Diego Capel, a 19 year-old Spaniard. The Sevilla midfielder has been filling in for the injured Brazilian Adriano (not the striker), and has made quite a name for himself in the few games he has played. With an £8 million release clause in his current contract, it seems as though Arsenal may be keen to sign him in January.

Apparently Greek defender Socratis Papastathopoulos is also on Arsene Wenger's wishlist. The 20 year-old AEK Athens defender caught Wenger's eye while he was scouting out Diego Capel in Sevilla, and has now been linked with Arsenal.

Marko Arnautovic, an 18 year-old striker playing with FC Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie, is yet another youngster to be linked with Arsenal. The 6 ft 3 in Austrian wunderkind is reportedly being tracked by many European clubs including Arsenal and Chelsea and the bidding could begin as soon as the next transfer window.

While I normally try to avoid articles which aren't well backed-up, the fact that there were three players being mentioned over at Talking Soccer made me bite. While the veracity of these claims is certainly questionable, at least this may foreshadow in small part the events of January's transfer window.

Arsenal vs. Sevilla: Champions League Match Preview

Wednesday will see Arsenal play Sevilla in the first week of fixtures of the 2007 Champions League. These two teams are heavy favorites to go through to the knockout rounds, and this encounter should prove to be a scintillating one.

Sevilla, who finished 3rd in Spain's La Liga last season, beat Recreativo Huelva 4-1 today, despite a missed penalty from Alexander Kerzhakov. Alongside Real Madrid they are one of two teams with a 100% record in La Liga so far this season (although Juande Ramos' side only played 2 matches due to the qualifying fixtures against AEK Athens). Nonetheless, they should provide a stern challenge for the Gunners.

Arsenal have similarly started well, coming in to Wednesday's match at the top of the Premiership table. Although they were held to a 1-1 draw against Blackburn, nobody can say that they have been under performing. Yesterday's 3-1 victory over Tottenham showed the spirit of our youngs guns, and technically the Arsenal youngsters are as good (or better) than any other team. Arsenal are slight favorites to win this fixture, but it will take some doing to unravel a tough Sevilla side.

One of the most important (and most exciting) battles of the match will be the one between Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy and Sevilla right-back Dani Alves. The Brazilian right-back is better on the attack than in defense, and is an integral part of the Sevilla team. Gael Clichy is also a dazzling attacker, whose dribbling skill is not matched by many players (let alone defenders). It will be interesting to see how the two deal with each other.

Another man Arsenal will have to watch out for is Fredi Kanoute. The former Tottenham striker has been on a good run of form lately, and scored twice in today's drubbing of Recreativo Huelva. The tall Malian will have to be well marked by equally tall Philippe Senderos if we are to keep the ball out of our net.

If we can keep those two quiet, I think the game should be fairly easy for Arsenal. Our midfield is sure to control the game, and the slick one-touch football of Arsenal will be difficult to defend against. Let's hope for some more goals from midfield and some good performances at the back. Maybe we'll even have a Robin van Persie who seems to be in the game...

In any case, I predict that we will win this entertaining encounter 2-1. I hope you can all catch this exciting game (good news for those of you in America: they're showing the match live on Setanta)! Let's hope for a win, because this one will be a huge leap towards the knockout rounds.

Arsenal to face Sevilla in Champion League Group H

Sevilla today beat AEK Athens 4-1 in Athens to win the tie 6-1 on aggregate. This means that Arsenal's Champions League group will consist of Sevilla, Slavia Prague, and Steaua Bucharest. It also makes the group a lot more challenging - and top heavy- than if AEK had won. It now seems as though the fight for the first place spot in Group H will be between Arsenal and Sevilla, while Slavia and Steaua will be all but written off from the start.

This doesn't mean that we won't be seeing any good games though. Steaua Bucharest is an attacking team so that should be an interesting encounter, and while Slavia Prague aren't giants in the world of European football, they were giant-killers in the qualifiers, beating out Ajax Amsterdam, so they should prove to be some sort of challenge as well.

The encounters between Arsenal and Sevilla should of course be the best of the group, and Arsenal will face a stern challenge trying to top La Liga's 3rd place finishers.

Arsenal's Champions League Draw

Well, we managed to qualify for the group stages for the 10th year running after beating Slavia Prague 5-0 on aggregate, so we get the excitement of getting to see our team play in the Champions League once again. I discussed the possibilities of who we could face in an article before, but now that the draw has been settled we know who our opponents are.

Our opponents in Group H will be Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague, and the winner of Monday’s Sevilla vs AEK Athens match which was postponed due to the tragic death of Antonio Puerta.

Assuming that Sevilla make it through, we should have a pretty entertaining list of fixtures to watch, as Steaua Bucharest are an attacking side, Slavia Prague were good enough to beat out Ajax, and Sevilla are one of the best teams in Spain right now.

I think it is a great draw, as we will have good matches, but we will still be fairly assured of making it through to the knockout rounds. However, it will be a tough challenge to finish ahead of Sevilla, and the Spanish giants should keep us on our toes throughout the group stages. It'll be great to see how Gael Clichy and Dani Alves handle each other as they are two of the best attacking defenders in world football.

Let's hope that we can once again make it to the Champions League finals.