Real Madrid stand in way of English challenge
Chelsea and Arsenal were drawn in a mouth-watering all-English European Champions League quarter-final with the prospect of facing Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
Chelsea and Arsenal were drawn in a mouth-watering all-English European Champions League quarter-final with the prospect of facing Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
Nine-times winners Real were given a relatively easy quarter-final against French side Monaco.
Holders AC Milan got probably the easiest draw.
The six-times winners play Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna, who knocked out Juventus in the last round, in the quarter-finals and either Porto or Lyon in the semis.
Neither Chelsea nor Arsenal were especially pleased about the London derby.
"One of the pleasures of being in Europe is to meet foreign opposition," said Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.
"This wasn't to be today and it's not as if we haven't played Chelsea this season but we'll have to deal with it."
But he was looking forward to playing Real.
"Whoever wins the quarter-final has got a very exciting semi-final ahead of them, either Real Madrid or Monaco."
And he said Arsenal were determined to improve on their European record.
"We've never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage. In 2000-2001 we were beaten by Valencia and for the history of the club we want to do better than that."
Chelsea secretary David Barnard was just as unimpressed with having to play the Gunners.
"We know each other back to front," he said.
"From a sporting point of view, we were looking forward to pitting our wits against European opposition. Having drawn Arsenal three times this season I don't think there's much we can learn."
Chelsea have lost to Arsenal on each of the three occasions they have met this season -- twice in the Premiership and once in the FA Cup.
Arsenal, unbeaten in the Premiership this season, have not lost to Chelsea in 17 games stretching back to 1998.
Milan executive Umberto Gandini could not conceal his delight at the draw.
"We have managed to avoid the teams that we wanted to avoid," he said. "The coach said he didn't want to play Arsenal and Real and that's what happened."
Milan beat Coruna 4-0 last year in the group stage and Milan got a good look at the Spaniards as they beat Juventus.
"It will be more difficult this time as we start off at home," Gandini said.
Coruna director Luis Sanchez Doporto was unfazed at the prospect of meeting the champions.
"Whether it was Milan or another team doesn't matter. At this level it doesn't matter who you play because these are the eight best teams in Europe."
Arsenal's exciting attacking play led by French striker Thierry Henry will test Chelsea's defence to the limits.
Chelsea have registered 26 clean sheets this season. Their record of 21 goals conceded in the Premiership is bettered only by leaders Arsenal, who have conceded 18.
Tuesday's night's clean sheet against Stuttgart was Chelsea's fifth consecutive European shut-out. They have played over 500 minutes since last conceding a goal, to Simone Inzaghi in the 38th minute of their 2-1 victory over Lazio last October.
Chelsea have won five of their eight Champions League matches this season and conceded only three goals. Their only defeat was a surprise 2-0 home loss to Turkish outfit Besiktas.
David Beckham's Real overcame 2001 winners Bayern Munich to reach the quarter-finals and beat English champions Manchester United in an epic encounter in last year's quarter-finals.
However, they might find French league leaders Monaco, coached by France's 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Champions captain Didier Deschamps, more of a handful than expected.
Real's external affairs director Emilio Butragueno welcomed the opportunity of playing Monaco and catching up with Fernando Morientes who is on loan to the French club.
"I don't know if it's the best draw we could have had but certainly in theory we could have met stronger opposition," he said.
"We can't complain but you have to remember that in the Spanish Cup it was the less fancied Eibar who gave us the most problems."
Eibar held Real 1-1 at home before losing 2-0 in Madrid.
Monaco have impressed in their run to the last eight, which started with an 8-3 win over Juventus conquerors La Coruna.
Porto, who knocked out Manchester United, will fancy their chances against Lyon, who are in the last eight for the first time.
Deschamps has a trio of proven scorers in Croatian Dado Prso, on-loan Real striker Morientes and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
Prso's winner against Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday made him leading scorer in the Champions League with six goals, one more than Morientes, who is level with Arsenal's Henry and Lyon's Brazilian playmaker Juninho.
And Deschamps will be able to count on play-maker Ludovic Giuly and defender Sebastien Squillaci when they return from injury for the quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals
1st legs
March 23
AC Milan (ITA, holders) v Deportivo La Coruna (SPA)
Porto (POR) v Lyon (FRA)
March 24
Chelsea (ENG) v Arsenal (ENG)
Real Madrid (SPA) v Monaco (FRA)
2nd legs
April 6
Arsenal (ENG) v Chelsea (ENG)
Monaco (FRA) v Real Madrid (SPA)
April 7
Deportivo La Coruna (SPA) v AC Milan (ITA, holders)
Lyon (FRA) v Porto (POR)
Semi-finals
Real Madrid (SPA) or Monaco (FRA) v Chelsea (ENG) or Arsenal (ENG)
Porto (POR) or Lyon (FRA) v AC Milan (ITA, holders) or Deportivo La Coruna (SPA)
1st legs: April 20/21, 2nd legs: May 4/5
Final: Gelsenkirchen, Germany, May 26