Upbeat Wenger eyes treble

ARSENE WENGER has stated his conviction that Arsenal have the strength to come unscathed through the immense test of their treble ambitions over the next three weeks.

Wenger's side face Chelsea in their two-legged Champions League quarter-final, as well as taking on Manchester United in both the Premiership and the FA Cup semi-finals, in the next fortnight.

They also play Liverpool and Newcastle in the Premiership in an imposing schedule that could make or break their entire season.

However, Wenger declared: "When you're in our kind of situation, every week is like that. You can win it all or lose it all. But we have the belief and the confidence levels so that I am convinced that we will be there in the next couple of weeks.

Arsenal's weekend victory against Bolton extended their unbeaten league run since the start of the season to 29 games, equalling the feats of Leeds in 1973-74 and Liverpool in 1987-88.

They could set a new top-flight record by avoiding defeat at home to Manchester United next Sunday, but Wenger is concentrating on their midweek Champions League tie at Stamford Bridge.

After all, Arsenal have never previously reached the semi-finals of the European Cup or Champions League, losing to Valencia on away goals in their only other last eight appearance in 2001.

"The next league game against Manchester United will be vital and that could be decisive between us and them, but let's first focus on Chelsea," insisted Wenger.

"We want to go as far as we can in the Champions League and we'll give it everything. We have waited a few years to be there and now we have a great chance to go through. They do too, so it's difficult to predict."

Arsenal's run of 16 games against Chelsea without defeat gives them the edge for Wednesday's game, while the non-flying Dennis Bergkamp is, for once, available for an away European tie.

Bergkamp is set to partner Thierry Henry at Chelsea and the France international is expecting a typical London derby.

"It will be same type of game since I've been in England. But we don't change our style in Europe anyway," he said.

"The Champions League means a lot to us. We're maybe five games away from putting our hands on the trophy.

"I have previously reached the semi-finals but Arsenal have not. We were very close to it, or at least 20 minutes away, against Valencia. But it's not about not having done it before. It's just about seeing what we can do now."

Given the magnitude of the occasion awaiting them at Stamford Bridge, it was hardly surprising that Arsenal should have taken one eye off the ball against Bolton at Highbury.

Bolton tried manfully to recover a two-goal deficit for the second time in 11 months against Arsenal, with boss Sam Allardyce saying: "Last season, they began to cruise it when they were 2-0 up against us and we came back. But they have learned from that disappointment."

The strain seemed to get to Wenger in the closing stages as the Frenchman's recently relaxed touchline demeanour rather evaporated. "I'm not a master in relaxation," said the Frenchman.