• Champions League

Wenger wants all English sides to progress in Europe

ESPN staff
December 5, 2011
Arsene Wenger does not want Arsenal to be the only English side left in the Champions League © PA Photos
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes the three other English teams in the Champions League will overcome their current difficulties to join the Gunners in the knockout stages of the competition.

The London side have comfortably qualified for the quarter-finals of Europe's premier competition with a game to spare in Group F, but progression has not been so straightforward for Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.

The former two sides both have their future in their own hands going into the final round of group matches, but City are relying on Villarreal to do them a favour if they are to have any chance of reaching the last 16 from Group A.

But Wenger hopes all three teams progress - worrying partly that any early exits would affect the number of places English teams will get in the competition in future, and also that teams would have an advantage in domestic competition if not distracted by European concerns.

"It would be a little bit of a disadvantage in the Premier League, but that is a catastrophic scenario for England and would basically harm our places in Europe for the future," Wenger said when asked if he wanted English teams to go out of the competition.

"That is what you don't want - that you go from four to three Champions League places. Hopefully that will not happen.

"And of course, the teams like Man United would focus completely on the FA Cup and the championship [if they went out] - and Man City as well - but let's see what happens. I don't think that will happen."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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