Arsene Wenger confident of Arsenal’s last-16 Champions League qualification

Wenger’s side kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages for the 16th successive year thanks to an inspired display from Alexis Sanchez in Tuesday’s crucial 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. They have a physio every day.

Arsene Wenger is confident that Arsenal can defy history by overcoming Olympiacos in Greece next month to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Arsenal FC are 3 points behind second placed Olympiacos having already lost to them 3-2, and will need to overturn this margin if they want to qualify from their group. “We needed to do the job and Bayern needed to do the job and we both did it well”.

“So I think they can have success in the Champions League by going to the next round and they can succeed in the Europa League because then they become favourites – they have a lot to play for”. It might not be enough to just do that, but if you lead 1-0 you can win 2-0. It is a must-win for us and the task is very clear.

Wenger believes that Sánchez’s toughness is the result of his upbringing in Tocopilla, a mining town in northern Chile where he would play street football with friends for hours and hours. They’ve blown hot and cold all season – not helped by their injury crisis – but against Zagreb it was hot Arsenal.

The momentum was with the home side and they had their reward in the 29th minute after a quick break which saw Sanchez pick out Ozil, who guided the ball past Eduardo with a diving header from close range.

Arsenal on Tuesday received a Champions League lifeline courtesy of Alexis Sanchez’s double and assistance from Bayern Munich.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that he will look to sign players this January after losing a host of first-team regulars to injury.

“We believe and before the game we knew we were capable of doing special things”, he said. It gives us a chance but how big the chance is I don’t know. “In my opinion they will go through”. They have a good chance. “He played before like he was not too obsessed with scoring, now he has a more balance between giving and producing”. “In my opinion they will go through”.