Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger thinks his side have been handed a
tough Champions League draw after the Gunners were paired with PSV
Eindhoven in the last 16 of the competition.
Although the Arsenal boss was pleased to avoid Real Madrid,
Barcelona, AS Roma and Internazionale, he is aware that Ronald
Koeman's side will be extremely difficult to beat.
He said: "The draw is not kind, not unkind. PSV have experience of
this level. They dominate Dutch football and every year now they
are in the last 16, quarter-final, semi-final even of the Champions
League against Milan. So it is a tough draw.
"Of course we have the experience of having been in the final last
season. Also we have a little advantage with our first game being
over there. It is like a game of 180 minutes where the first 90
decide the rest.
"But we also know that you look back one year before that and we
didn't do well at Bayern in the first game and we went out. We did
well at Real Madrid in the first game last season and we qualified,
so psychologically we know how to handle it."
Meanwhile, Wenger has confirmed that he will again be without the
injured Tomas Rosicky and William Gallas for this weekend's
Premiership clash with Portsmouth.
He added: "Rosicky is very close. I could have included him but I
do not want to take another gamble with him and have a
setback.
"He has practised the first day with us today and I found it too
early. William is nowhere near. He'll be back in 10 days."