Soccer: European exit can boost title chances - Wenger

Juventus 1 Arsenal 0

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger warned Manchester United and Liverpool that his side’s painful Champions League exit is set to give them a vital advantage over their two rivals in the title race.

Wenger was trying to apply a positive gloss to an immensely frustrating night as Arsenal failed to follow United and Liverpool into the quarter-finals of the competition.

He insisted that the Gunners’ elimination would not spark a mass squad clear-out, even if it will mean up to £10m (€16m) in potential revenue being denied to them.

Wenger instead attempted to focus his players’ minds on the two targets left in sight the Barclaycard Premiership and the FA Cup.

For the one possible consolation for the Gunners amid the ashes of yet another failed European campaign is that their fixture schedule will now be eased just as that of United and Liverpool intensifies.

Not that Wenger would have wished to enter Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Newcastle with his team having just had their European shortcomings exposed in Turin.

Just as last season at Bayern Munich, they failed to rise to the big occasion, with Thierry Henry missing his second consecutive penalty and a host of other chances going astray against his former club.

Crucially, Arsenal have won just one point out of a possible 18 away in Europe this season, with the late equaliser at Bayer Leverkusen and their home defeat by Deportivo La Coruna last week being their biggest setbacks.

But while they were redeemed by results elsewhere last year, this time Leverkusen won 3-1 away to a weakened Deportivo side, thereby sealing Arsenal’s fate in any case.

Wenger struck a predictably defiant tone, insisting Arsenal were still on course to become the ‘‘best side in the world’’ and would win the competition next season.

His short-term goal, however, is to pick his side up to face Newcastle, with Dennis Bergkamp and possibly even Tony Adams set to return to the side.

From the prospect of a fixture pile-up, Arsenal now also have at least two free midweeks to allow their players to recover while United and Liverpool are still involved in Europe.

Wenger said: ‘‘We are mentally strong. We have shown that before and we will respond again in our FA Cup tie.

‘‘We could have an advantage over Manchester United and Liverpool if we respond well. Then it will help us physically.’’

United will now face Liverpool, Deportivo who beat them twice in the first group stage or, ideally, the Greek side Panathinaikos in the last eight.

Tomorrow’s draw will, meanwhile, pit Gerard Houllier’s side against either United, Real Madrid or Leverkusen, whom Arsenal gained four points against.

The Gunners’ elimination will be seen as jeopardising their chances of keeping hold of Patrick Vieira this summer.

However, Wenger insisted: ‘‘Our biggest problem at the moment is refusing players who want to join us rather than keeping the ones we have.

‘‘We have a great spirit in the club and the players want to be part of that. We’ve had many offers from big players who want to join us.’’

Arsenal also need their luck to improve after suffering from Deportivo, who had already qualified, making eight changes to the side that won at Highbury last week a decision described by Wenger as ‘‘strange and surprising’’.

The Gunners still had only themselves to blame though as they could have qualified by beating the Spanish side last week and did not even gain a point against a similarly depleted Juventus side.

While they succumbed to Marcelo Zalayeta’s header from a corner, they squandered many of their own chances, with Henry’s penalty being superbly saved by Fabian Carini.

Henry also failed to score from the spot against Deportivo eight days earlier but Wenger added:

‘‘The penalty miss will certainly affect him but he will take the penalties again.

‘‘This will not stop us. We’ve had a tremendous attitude up until now and as long as we keep that, we will still win something this season.’’