Big guns avoid Spanish armada

Arsenal and Manchester United – if the Old Trafford club qualify – will avoid Spanish opposition in tomorrow’s draw for the Champions League group stage after retaining their place among the elite group of top seeds.

The Gunners and the Red Devils remain among the eight top-ranked sides despite a shake-up in UEFA’s seeding system but both Chelsea and Liverpool are among the second seeds.

Current European champions Porto, four Spanish sides and Bayern Munich make up the other top seeds on the Continent for tomorrow’s draw in Monaco.

Celtic and, should they qualify, Rangers are likely to be among the third pot of seeds.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are already in the hat for the draw in Monaco with United expected to join them tonight after playing Dinamo Bucharest at Old Trafford with the Romanian champions trailing 2-1.

Rangers must get past CSKA Moscow at Ibrox tonight but trail 2-1 from the first leg.

Arsenal have yet to progress beyond the quarter-final stage in the competition but manager Arsene Wenger has rejected claims his defence let the side down at crucial moments last season.

Wenger also reiterated his belief that the Premiership remains Arsenal’s priority.

He said: “Our defence has not been a problem in the Champions League. You could criticise Manchester United’s defence in 1999 or Real Madrid’s but they still won the Champions League.

“The Champions League is a Cup system. You should not over-rate its importance – a good side should win their domestic championship first.”

UEFA have changed their coefficient system this summer to give more weight to an individual club’s performances in Europe and less to how all clubs from a particular country have done overall.

The biggest effect has been on Liverpool, who were among the top seeds after qualifying for the 2002-03 Champions League but who fall in the ranking because they have only played in Europe’s top club competition twice in the last five years.

Chelsea and Liverpool will be among the pot of second seeds along with Italian clubs AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan.

:: UEFA’s club coefficients 2004-05: 1 Real Madrid* 146.35, 2 Valencia 139.35, 3 Barcelona 134.35, 4 Manchester United* 119.51, 5 Bayern Munich 105.33, 6 Deportivo La Coruna 104.35, 7 Arsenal 103.51, 8 Porto 99.99, 9 AC Milan 99.53, 10 Liverpool 90.51, 11 Juventus* 84.53, 12 Inter Milan 82.53, 13 Roma 78.53, 14 Lyon 70.95, 15 Chelsea 67.51, 16 PSV Eindhoven* 65.23.

Others: 19 Celtic 60.60, 25 Rangers* 42.60.

* = have to qualify