Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has studied Arsenal boss Wenger and his team at close hand for a few years now and no-one needs to tell him of the magnitude of the task he faces in tonight's Champions League play-off second leg. The Celts will enter the Emirates arena needing to score two goals just to get back in the tie, having lost the first leg 2-0 at Celtic Park last week, but Mowbray insists that his side's fate in European football's premier competition is not sealed yet.
Aiden McGeady tonight
"One goal will make a huge difference." he said. "The third goal in any game is always important and although Arsenal are ahead by two they certainly won't be able to relax if we get the next goal. If we can score the next one in this tie then it becomes a different game. If Arsenal grab it then we'll be in for a very long night. So we have to strive to find the balance between trying to create chances without being overly cavalier but I believe we can do that."
"Having said that, though, Arsenal will also know that if we try to push forward at every opportunity, they could take full advantage." he added. "We all know they are equipped to do that, not just to ourselves, but to any top side around Europe because they have an abundance of talented players at their disposal. But I don't think we made best use of the possession we had in the first leg. If we get that right this time I believe we can still do something in this tie. If I didn't believe we could play at a high tempo and try to get forward, then we would be knocking balls long and playing differently."
Arsenal's influential captain Cesc Fabregas won't take part in tonight's tie because of a hamstring injury but Mowbray doesn't believe that this will make Celtic's task any easier. "We'll be playing against one of the world's best coaches in Mr Wenger." said Mowbray. "And also against one of the best sides in the world therefore I don't think it really matters who he plays. If it's not Fabregas, then there is Denilson or an Alexandre Song or an Abou Diaby or one of the other players."
"What we must do down here is concentrate on our own jobs and make sure that Arsenal can't look any further than this match." he said. "After the first leg it has become a difficult job for us but it is still one we are looking forward to tackling. We'll try to score the first goal and then see what happens. The bottom line is this - It doesn't matter if the media have written anybody off because Mr Wenger is way too good at his job to have done that himself."
"We have to make sure this will be a disappointing night for him." said the Celtic boss. "I think the game plan has to be to make sure we're not out of it before we've given ourselves a chance to play. We don't want to concede an early goal and if we were to lose two I think it would be fair to say we ain't going to score five against Arsenal."
"We want to go out there and test ourselves against one of best teams and best coaches in world football." he said. "I am not denying Arsenal were the better side in Glasgow but let's hope we carry a bit of good fortune on the night and see where that leads us."
There has been some inexplicable whining coming from the Arsenal camp concerning alleged 'over-physical' tactics from Celtic last week and although boss Mowbray was mystified as to why that claim should have been made he refused to be drawn into any detailed discussion on the matter. "I wouldn't suggest we have an over-physical football team." he said. "Because first and foremost we have to play at a high tempo and high up the field and ask questions of our opponents. That is what we will always want to do but we are certainly not a team that gets over-physical. So, we will wait to see what effect the first goal, if we can get it, will have in the game. If they go one down they'll perhaps go chasing the game to put things right again and that might help us. But what I do know is that at some stage we will have to score."