Wenger: We have nothing to fear
The Gunners host Blackburn in the fifth round of the FA Cup today in the first of a run of games which Wenger accepts will define their season as they aim to stay on course for a first trophy since 2005 and break back into the Premier League’s top four.
Bayern, runners-up to Chelsea in last season’s Champions League final, are currently 15 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga — having not lost since October 28. Jupp Heynckes’ men have returned from the winter break with four straight league wins.
However, Wenger has called upon his side to recapture the spirit of 2006 when despite inconsistent domestic form Arsenal went to Real Madrid and recorded a famous 1-0 victory before going on to reach the Champions League final.
“I believe we have a chance to beat them and we have to take it. We want to be at our best,” said Wenger.
“When we went to Real Madrid a few years ago they had [Zinedine] Zidane, [David] Beckham, Raul, Guti and we beat them over there at Madrid.
“We were fourth or fifth in the league, so it is just down to us to believe we can do it.
“We know now it is the time when we can show how strong we are.
“I believe we are a stronger team than we were in October and November, but I can talk and talk — we must show it on the football pitch.”
Wenger believes knocking Bayern out could set Arsenal on the path to European glory at Wembley in May.
He added: “If we get past Bayern, then why should we not go further and win it?
“It looks at the start that [winning] the FA Cup is more reachable than any other competition, but you don’t really know how difficult it will be.
“If you compare it to the Premier League certainly, we have more chances to do it because we are too far away in the Premier League.”
Despite the obvious draw of next week’s prestigious European fixture, Wenger maintains his side will be fully focused to see off the challenge of Blackburn and secure safe passage into the last eight.
“They know there is an opportunity, if we go through we are in the quarter-final and they don’t want to miss that,” he said.
Wenger has enjoyed his own love affair with the FA Cup, winning the world’s oldest knockout competition four times between 1998 and 2005. The Arsenal manager is determined to avoid a second cup shock in the same season after crashing out of the Capital One Cup on penalties at Bradford.
“I always have to convince you that we take the competition seriously,” he said. “In 16 years I don’t think we had [many] upsets against lower division teams, that shows that we take the competition seriously.”
Blackburn boss Michael Appleton believes the pressure is off his side today.
“I think it is certainly a weekend off in terms of the league fixtures,” Appleton said. “With the FA Cup game on Saturday it does give us an opportunity to enjoy the match more than we would in a normal league game.”
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