Wenger looking forward to Milan blockbuster

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes the club’s draw with Serie A champions AC Milan in the Champions League is an exciting prospect.

Alongside Chelsea, the Gunners were one of only two Premier League sides to make the knockout stages of the tournament.

Wenger insists the outcome of the tie hangs evenly in the balance, and is hoping his team can maintain their recent good form going into February’s showdown.

“It is a difficult draw but an exciting one,” he told the club’s official website. “And they could say exactly the same thing I suppose. It is a 50-50.”

“So let’s make sure we continue to improve until February. Then we can take our chance with full power and belief.”

Arsenal have played at the San Siro twice before in the Champions League and on both occasions have won – 5-1 against Inter and 2-0 against Milan.

The Rossoneri’s director, Umberto Gandini, described the match as the ‘tie of the round’ and Wenger agreed that it is the type of fixture that would be expected in the quarter-finals of the competition.

“Yes, we have good memories at San Siro,” the Gunners boss acknowledged. “As I say it is an interesting draw.”

“Ideally, it is a draw for one round later but you take them when they happen.”

“There is not much more to say really – everybody knows Milan, everybody knows Arsenal.”

“We have been in the Champions League for many years and both sides play positive football.”

“We have been up to the task every time in this competition so let’s make sure we are again.”

Meanwhile, Wenger is convinced his team can beat Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, claiming they could be ‘psychologically disadvantaged’ for the clash.

City crashed out of the Champions League last week, and lost their first league game of the season at Chelsea on Monday.

“They’ve had two recent disappointments of course, but they will want to respond. It always takes some of your confidence away but we are not in a position to speculate on any particular weakness on their part. We can only make sure that we are at our best level,” he said.

“We don’t know if it is an advantage, if you asked them if they still wanted to be in the Champions League they would say yes. You can’t know if it is an advantage right now, psychologically it can only be a disadvantage but on a physical level, in the long-term, it could perhaps be an advantage.”

Wenger said young gun Jack Wilshere could be close to a return after five months out with an ankle injury.

“He had an important scan on Thursday that was very good, exceptionally good. The news we have for Jack is very positive,” he added.