Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev represents the start of a defining period for the crisis-hit Gunners.
Arsene Wenger faces a stern test as the crisis-hit Arsenal look for a change of fortunes when they take on Kiev in a crucial Champions League tie tonight
LONDON: Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev represents the start of a defining period for the crisis-hit Gunners. With the after-shocks from William Gallas’s rant against his team-mates still being felt throughout the north London club, Wenger knows his team cannot afford another defeat against Dynamo on Tuesday.
Gallas will play for Arsenal against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium but manager Arsene Wenger said the captaincy had now passed permanently to Cesc Fabregas. The manner of Arsenal’s dismal 3-0 loss at Manchester City on Saturday — coming less than 24 hours after Wenger dropped Gallas and stripped the French defender of the club captaincy - left the impression that their season is in danger of imploding.
A run of one win from five matches would have been bad enough without Gallas revealing the extent of the rifts dividing Arsenal’s dressing room. Now Arsenal desperately needs to ease the sense of turmoil engulfing the Emirates Stadium. While a win over the Ukrainians is unlikely to completely see off the vultures who are ready to pick over the corpse of Arsenal’s season, it would at least guarantee progress to second round and give increasingly anxious Gunners fans reason for optimism.
Meanwhile, holders Manchester United and Real Madrid are out to seal their last 16 Champions League berths with a game to spare on Tuesday. Juventus, Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon are already through to knockout stages and United seek to join the trio in Spain against fellow Group E leaders Villarreal.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions can only be frustrated by a combination of Villarreal win and defeat for Celtic against Aalborg in Denmark. A draw would suit both United and Villarreal as one more point sees each progress. United are without injured striker Dimitar Berbatov. Real Madrid have been crowned European kings nine times but a tenth title looks far from assured given their back-to-back defeats to Juventus. That’s left them in second on six points, four behind the already qualified Italians, but they can sail on by beating BATE Borisov as long as Juve don’t fall at Zenit St Petersburg.
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