Champions League Last 16 Draw (14/12/15 11am GMT).

[AFC Leveller]

I'd rather we get the big games early so we set the standard early for ourselves. But saying that....this is Arsenal. The springboard effect just doesn't work for us. We could beat Barca but go out in the next round to Zenit. But I hope we put on a show this year. We raised our game against Bayern and we can do it against Barca as long as we have the right team selection.

When we have faced Barcelona in the past, i always looked forward to their games and gave us a chance, esp at home. This season however, we are facing a simply outstanding team, their attackm and midfield are so good and create so much that it will be tough for us to keep them quiet. I know we kept Bayern at bay at home this season but for me Barcelona are a better side, esp upfront.

[Bumble]

its the taking part that matters. it could have been worse, we could have been in the Europa league with a chance of winning it and think of all those extra games that players can get injured in. at least now we know we only have 2 more matches left.

Think Cech might need to play pretty well for us to come out of this with anything.

[Niall_Quinn]

But the point is we have Cech. He's got experience of actually winning the thing and he's several steps up on what we've been going into these bigger CL games with in the recent past. I assume we'll actually play him.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

But the point is we have Cech. He's got experience of actually winning the thing and he's several steps up on what we've been going into these bigger CL games with in the recent past. I assume we'll actually play him.

You clearly haven't thought of the negative impact that will have on poor diminutive David Ospina have you?

For Shame

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I don't know why you (and everyone else) are so pessimistic about our chances in the CL. It's not necessarily the best team in Europe that win the thing.

A poor Chelsea side won it a few years ago, Liverpool won it, Juve got to the final last year, we got to the final .......... at the very least we should be doing better than getting constantly knocked out in the last 16. With some luck avoiding the big teams (and not choking like last year when that happens) we have the quality to make the semi's at least and from there anything can happen.

And what happened when Dortmund, Atletico and Juve got to the final?

We can say what we like about Chelsea being a "minnow" when they won it, a team that had splashed out on Torres and Mata...just because they pubbed their way to victory.
The point i am making is that if we want to win the competition we are going to have to play a team like Barcelona anyway, i don't think we have a good enough squad (in terms of depth) to be able to go for both that and the premier league....and i've got to the point where i think winning the premier league is a must....man city are inconsistent, chelsea are no where.....there is no hiding place, no excuse for us this time....

[Özim]

Bye bye Champions league, it's been nice knowing you. We're going to get thumped by this lot.

Neymar, Messi and Suarez against our lot will have a field day.

[Özim]

I don't know why you (and everyone else) are so pessimistic about our chances in the CL. It's not necessarily the best team in Europe that win the thing.

Simple answer, we're dogshite in Europe, we'll never beat one of the top teams in this competition with Wenger in charge because quite frankly we have a manager unable to upset the odds when it matters, everything is so predictable with us, there's just no "if" it's always when. Can't think of many other sides where you can predict the outcome and be so right so often, yes some weaker teams have won the CL, but they'll all had an air of unpredictability about them, we just don't and haven't for years.

Last 16 is our limit and it'll remain that way until Wenger finally moves on....in a decade.

[Power n Glory]

When we have faced Barcelona in the past, i always looked forward to their games and gave us a chance, esp at home. This season however, we are facing a simply outstanding team, their attackm and midfield are so good and create so much that it will be tough for us to keep them quiet. I know we kept Bayern at bay at home this season but for me Barcelona are a better side, esp upfront.

With everyone expecting us to get mopped, I think the players will play out of their skins for this tie as they usually do when counted out in such a way.

[Marc Overmars]

No chance of going through of course but it should be a fun tie.

[Özim]

We're 7 points better off than at this stage last season. We'd have been in 3rd last season with this number of points, 6 points off the top.
Conversely, on last year's form we'd be 5th right now, level on points with Spurs.
We're not going to win the CL, we've got a decent chance at the league though. That's where I see the success (or not) of our season lying.

No offcence but the standard of the league this season has been shocking it really has, one of the poorest PL seasons ever in terms of quality. Man City should be coasting but Pellegrini is really making a mess of it and Mourinho is having a mare this year. It's the best chance we'll ever have but in terms of competition there's not a lot which explains our position right now.....I still expect us to mess it up mind, I'm just explaining our false position if you like.

Looking at our performances this season we're nowhere near the quality that should be required to win a league, neither is anyone else fortunately, I don't think I've ever seen such a poor level of competition, Man U won it a few years back with a dogshite team too, but they had Ferguson who managed to raise the level of the players by 200% and performed miracles.

Wenger isn't even in the same universe as Fergie, but I still think that the team that wins the title should perform like champions and by all intents and purposes we're performing more like chumps.

I still see Man City winning this thing though as they have Aguero and we have Giroud, a world class forward vs a one dimensional average joe and that's a big advantage they have.