Barca bashing gives Wenger double vision

ARSENE WENGER feels Arsenal’s disappointing Champions League exit against Barcelona now means his squad will not be “overloaded” as they aim to beat Manchester United to the domestic double.

The Gunners crashed out of Europe to the Spanish champions for the second successive season at the Camp Nou, where Wenger was left in a rage and on a UEFA charge following the decision of Swiss referee Massimo Busacca to dismiss striker Robin van Persie for shooting at goal just a second after the whistle for offside.

As a result, a season which again promised so much is in danger of once more ultimately delivering very little. Nevertheless, Arsenal still hold destiny in their own hands.

Following successive league defeats for United, Wenger’s men are now just three points behind the Red Devils, who play the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Marseille on Tuesday and must go to the Emirates Stadium on May 1.

Victory at Old Trafford in today’s FA Cup quarter-final clash would see the Gunners return to Wembley in April and stay on course to clinch what would certainly be a double earned the hard way.

And Wenger feels not having such a congested fixture list could just work in their favour.

“We will not be overloaded, that’s the advantage of it,” said the Gunners boss, again without skipper Cesc Fabregas, who aggravated his hamstring problem in Spain.

“We want to deal well with the two psychological blows that we had recently and that’s our purpose. If we manage to do that then it will be advantage.

“Since November, I feel this team has taken off.

“While in the last month we have lost the Carling Cup final and gone out of the Champions League, but if you had a global view of the last three months then you had every reason to be optimistic.”

Wenger, though, accepted: “Tomorrow’s game has big significance, of course, as the targets now that we have in front of us are the championship and FA Cup.”

Veteran Spaniard Manuel Almunia will return to the starting XI today, with Wojciech Szczesny set to be sidelined for around six weeks.

The 33-year-old had seemed set to leave Arsenal during the January transfer window after struggling with form and injury.

Wenger, though, has been impressed with Almunia’s approach to the situation.

“Manuel Almunia is very professional, [has a] very dignified attitude and overall he has done very well,” the Arsenal boss said.