‘Destiny in our own hands’

ARSENE WENGER headed to Turin last night knowing Arsenal’s future is in their own hands - just weeks after his side were considered “a joke”.

It is not so long ago everything looked bleak for the Gunners, their FA Cup defence ended by Bolton, languishing well off the pace in the Barclays Premiership and facing the might of Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Yet Wenger’s young side have come of age in what has been one of the most testing campaigns in recent memory for the north London club.

They defend a 2-0 advantage in tonight’s second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Serie A leaders Juventus and are back in the driving seat to finish in the top four of the Premiership following the weekend’s domestic results.

Even so, the Arsenal boss, as always, is determined to keep everyone’s feet on the ground.

“I am very realistic, because two months ago everybody considered us to be a joke ... and now suddenly we are favourites to win the European Cup. The truth is somewhere in between,” said Wenger.

“We can make it, but let’s just play at our best against Juventus and get through to the semi-final.

“The only thing we have done in the last two months is to make sure it’s still in our hands in the English championship and in the European Cup.

“In the Premiership, we are in a position where it is just down to our results - and that has not always been the case. In Europe, it is just down to our result in Turin.”

While the Gunners had until recent seasons been the dominant London force challenging Manchester United for domestic glory, success in Europe’s elite club competition has so far eluded Wenger.

Although 2006 represents perhaps their best chance of ending that quest, Wenger maintains: “I am not specifically obsessed by European success. But people expect from you what you have not done, and you have to accept that.

“I want to feel as a manager that I have got the maximum out of the team.”

The Arsenal boss will not allow himself to be deflected from the job in hand.

“I have my own philosophy and sentiment about what I have achieved or not achieved.

“I want to achieve as much as I can and let other people judge whether it is good or bad. That is not down to me.

“Domestically, we have done very, very well - but at European level we have just been a fraction out. Every year we have an opportunity to show we can make up that fraction.

“Overall, I always feel that it is difficult to win everything every year.

“We have been in the FA Cup every year, we have done well in the championship in the last 10 years - and now we have a good opportunity to show we have got it in Europe.”

Wenger is determined not to take his eye off the ball at home or abroad.

“It is crucial that we get into the Champions League again, because we want to belong to the best competition every year,” he said.

“I feel we have had many problems this season.

“We have rebuilt the team, and I feel this team is a little bit ahead of schedule.

“They have shown they have character and can cope with pressure. Tomorrow we have positive pressure.”

Despite Arsenal holding a strong advantage - gained against a distinctly below-par Juve side at Highbury last week - Wenger is not anticipating a warm welcome from the Italians on the pitch at the Stadio delle Alpi.

“I expect them to try to score early and go a little bit British-style from the start - that is quite direct and trying to put us under pressure,” he said.

“They have guys who are good in the air, have [Pavel] Nedved, who is penetrating on the second ball. He makes a lot of runs.

“They might try to score early on and to put us under pressure.

“I believe that will suit us - to defend well as a team but not to hide. We have to be positive and try to win the game.

“With the experienced side we face, no matter what happens we will have to be fully focused for 90 minutes.”

Although Czech midfielder Nedved will return from suspension tomorrow, Juve’s former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira and Argentina’s Mauro Camoranesi will have to sit out the match following their respective yellow and red cards last week.

Striker Alessandro del Piero has failed to recover from his thigh injury and will not feature.

For Wenger, there is more positive news on the fitness front.

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas (foot) - so influential during the first leg - and full-back Emmanuel Eboue (groin) have both travelled, while veteran defender Sol Campbell will be in the squad for the first time since the beginning of February.

Wenger said: “At the moment Fabregas looks good.

“Eboue will have a final test tomorrow, because we don’t want to take any chances - but we are certain he will be okay.”