Post by Salem6 on Nov 5, 2003 18:52:08 GMT
UEFA Champions League, Arsenal Stadium, Highbury
Wednesday, November 5, 2003. Kick-off: 7.45pm
Wednesday, November 5, 2003. Kick-off: 7.45pm
REFEREE
Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista (Portugal)
By Richard Clarke
It will be a night of belief at Highbury this evening.
Arsenal entertain Dynamo Kyiv knowing that, realistically, only victory is good enough to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Arsène Wenger's side are bottom of Group B after reaping just one point from their opening three games. But the manager still believes.
"We could have won in Kyiv and Moscow but we came back with one point from those two games," he said. "We did not deserve that.
"I know things can turn as quickly for you as against you and, if you keep putting in the performances, it will turn.
"I just try to keep us going as we know we can. I think this team is very close but when you look to be very far away [from succeeding] you forget that.
"Look at Juventus last year. They nearly won the Champions League but in the first round they almost went out, they only got through on seven points. So the margin is very small.
"I know that at the moment we don't have the worry of winning the Champions League, we have to qualify first. But some things come when you keep a good attitude and that is what I try to do."
An Arsenal victory tonight could throw Group B wide open once more. Inter has just sacked their manager while Lokomotiv Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv have proved themselves to be much more than also-rans.
"Moscow and Kyiv come from football countries with as much tradition anywhere else," said Wenger. "They are a little bit underrated in Europe, but they have good players.
"We brought back the minimum from our games against them. We wanted to force the situation too much against Kyiv last time. But it was very close and we hit the bar twice."
However on the back of that opening night 3-0 loss against Inter at Highbury, those Eastern European trips have left much-fancied Arsenal playing catch-up.
Apart from Patrick Vieira (thigh) and Martin Keown (calf), the manager will choose his team from a full squad. The Arsenal manager believes it is business as usual.
"We have to behave like we always do," he said. "Maybe we got punished against Inter because we were not patient enough. But we play at Highbury tonight and we know we can beat anyone there."
With victory essential, converting chances into goals will be a necessity. Thierry Henry grabbed Arsenal's only strike in this year's competition at Kyiv in the last round of matches. The French forward hit exactly half of the team's 14 goals in last season's competition. There is a question of over-reliance.
"Goals come naturally if the team plays well," replied Wenger. "After that happens maybe there is a bigger chance statistically of Thierry scoring but the most important thing is that the team plays well.
"It is unfair to put pressure on him to say just you have to score. For example we won at Leeds and showed that everyone could score."
Arsenal were at their disciplined, punishing best at Elland Road on Saturday. Highbury will be hoping the team can make take that top level performance into European competition tonight.
GROUP B
Team Pld W D L F A Pts
Inter Milan 3 2 0 1 5 4 6
Dynamo Kyiv 3 2 0 1 5 3 6
Lokomotiv Moscow 3 1 1 1 3 2 4
ARSENAL 3 0 1 2 1 5 1
