Ranieri wary of top-notch Gunners

Champions League results show Arsenal are not one of the best teams in Europe - but Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri disagrees and rates tonight’s FA Cup opponents among the continent’s finest.

Ranieri’s old team Valencia denied the Gunners a place in the last eight of Europe’s top club competition last week.

But the Italian coach, who has attended all six of Arsenal’s Champions League home games, still believes the north Londoners are among Europe’s top teams.

“They’re a great side, one of the best in Europe,” he said. “They lost in Valencia – but their football is very, very strong.

“We’ve played a lot of matches against Arsenal, and every game is difficult. They’re fantastic on the counter-attack.”

The Gunners responded to their defeat in Spain with a battling performance to overcome Everton 2-1 on Sunday and go back to the top of the Barclaycard Premiership.

Wenger vowed today that his side will give everything to beat the Blues – and Ranieri insists his side will match their commitment.

“I believe Arsenal will play very strongly tonight because they want to win the FA Cup,” he said.

“But for sure, Chelsea will also play very, very hard and fight. I want to fight and I want to win.”

Ranieri also backed John Terry to become England’s defensive lynchpin for the next decade – and then joked: “He’s so good, I think he’s from Mars.”

Tomorrow the centre-back will link up with the senior squad for the first time.

The 22-year-old could feature against Liechtenstein on Saturday or against Turkey next Wednesday if Sven-Goran Eriksson decides Sol Campbell’s Achilles injury is too troublesome to risk.

Sunday’s announcement that Terry is in the party for the Euro 2004 qualification double-header comes eight months after he was cleared of charges of affray and actual bodily harm, that case having ruled out any chance of him making the World Cup squad.

Ranieri said: “John’s an extra-terrestrial – I think he’s from Mars. He’s like ET and needs to phone home!

“He’s 22 and he could be an England centre-back for a minimum of 10 years.

“His body and strength remind me of Tony Adams. He reads the game very well and feels tall and strong – and he can mark any striker, even Thierry Henry.”

Terry is revelling in the heart of the Blues’ back-line – a position he will occupy when Ranieri’s men attempt to dispatch Arsenal at the second attempt and clinch their place in the April 13 semi-final against Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

Midfielder Frank Lampard joins Terry in the England squad, and Ranieri said: “I’m very pleased for them.

“They’re two young English players and playing very well.

“When I arrived I said I wanted to have more English players in my team.

“I believe in the English spirit, and John and Frank are very important players for Chelsea. They are at a great moment in their careers.”