Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes it is too early to judge
whether English sides are in decline in the Champions League despite
three of the four Premier League sides losing the first leg of their
last 16 ties.
Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to European champions
Bayern Munich, after being reduced to 10 men in the first half, and
their French coach said no conclusions can be drawn until after the
second legs.
"I think you have first to realise that all four
(English) teams came out of the group stage. That means the level is
there," Wenger said on Thursday.
"After only one game, you cannot judge a general trend."
Ten-man
Manchester City lost 2-0 to Barcelona, English champions Manchester
United went down by the same score to Olympiakos and Chelsea drew at
Galatasaray in the last 16.
England are rated second to Spain in
UEFA's rankings but are in danger of having no team in the
quarter-finals of the Champions League for the second consecutive
season.
Last season only Arsenal and Manchester United, who hold
the record for the most Champions League quarter-finals with Bayern and
Barcelona, reached the knockout rounds.
"Man City played with 10
men, Arsenal played with 10 men, Man City played against Barcelona,
Arsenal played against Bayern Munich, who are world champions," Wenger
told reporters.
"Of course you know that with 10 men it will be a
difficult game. After that the other two teams are still in positions,
Man United and Chelsea, where they can turn the results around.
"Let's wait until the end of the second game before talking about a trend of strength or weakness."
