LONDON - Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal's
stars that they must qualify from their Champions League group in first
place.
Wenger's side can effectively book their spot in the
knockout stages with a win over Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar at the
Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, but the Arsenal boss won't be satisfied
with that.
The Gunners are currently top of Group H with seven
points from three games - including a 1-1 draw with Alkmaar - and
Wenger knows it would be a major boost to finish in pole position as
the first-placed teams are guaranteed a home second leg in the last 16.
"We
want to finish first in the group and that will not be done on
Wednesday but we can make the first step, to win and qualify," Wenger
said on Tuesday.
"That will be a big step but you know we were
warned at Alkmaar that this team has quality, that, in my opinion, they
focus highly on the Champions League."
After being widely written off as also-rans in pre-season, Arsenal have defied the critics so far this term.
They
have gone 11 matches without defeat in all competitions and Wenger
believes the Gunners, who were beaten by Manchester United at the
semi-final stage last season, deserve to be ranked among Europe's elite.
"I
consider ourselves as an elite club because we are in the top seeded
eight of Europe and we are as I have said with only two clubs who have
achieved 12 consecutive times to play in the Champions League, so we
are an elite club," he said.
"You do not only want to
participate. We have been in the final, we have been in the semi-final
and at some stage I think being here every year we will win it."
Arsenal
looked in peak form on Saturday as they destroyed north London rivals
Tottenham 3-0. Yet, while Wenger is encouraged by his young side's
impressive form, he knows the litmus test will come if they remain in
contention for silverware in the second half of the season.
The
pressure of playing two matches a week and needing to win every time
seperates the pretenders from the truly great teams and Wenger added:
"We have to show that we can focus every three days, that we can play
for each other every three days all along the season, that we can
prepare every game with the same kind of conscientious attitude and
that we can win.
"That's a lot of things that we have still to
accomplish. It is in front of us and for example we have to show that
we can go into the game with the same seriousness that we have done on
Saturday against Tottenham."
A win over Alkmaar on Wednesday
would not only push Arsenal towards the last 16, but also end a series
of disappointments for Wenger against AZ coach Ronald Koeman.
Wenger has squared up against former Holland star Koeman five times in Europe and has yet to finish on the winning side.
Koeman
masterminded a knockout stage win over Arsenal during his time at PSV
Eindhoven, then moved to Ajax, who drew twice with the Gunners, before
holding Wenger's team to a draw with AZ two weeks ago.
Publicly at least Wenger insists he isn't motivated by personal duels.
"Personally
I don't feel that I played against Ronald Koeman. I think I play
against Alkmaar with my team and that is the most important," Wenger
said.
"I believe Ronald Koeman didn't score in the last minute when we played against Alkmaar.
"Credit
to him - he organises his team and they fight well and he has always
been a manager of good teams. But I have never in my life been obsessed
by personal rivalries."