SOCCER:THE DRAW for the last 16 of the Champions League must leave Arsenal and Chelsea uneasy. In the encounters with Milan and Napoli respectively, it is at least feasible they could be forced to give up their lives as part of a broad, rejuvenating trend in which England's impact recedes a little. The Premier League clubs learned that the benefit of topping their groups lay purely in the fact they have the first leg away.
The appeal is still great for Arsenal. “We have good memories at San Siro,” Arsene Wenger said, referring to the 2-0 win over Milan there in 2008 that swept his club into the quarter-finals. That is a help of sorts, but it cannot eliminate all disquiet in England.
Manchester City’s elimination had much to do with the single point taken from the group games with Napoli and now Chelsea must study the footage exhaustively.
It will not be lost on Andre Villas-Boas and his squad that they are as close to being City’s counterparts as is feasible, given the sums plunged into each club. All the same, there is a potentially critical difference. The Chelsea manager is rebuilding, but, unlike Roberto Mancini, still has marked continuity in the ranks, from Petr Cech and John Terry through to Didier Drogba.
City had nothing to compare with that accumulated expertise when beaten at Stamford Bridge last Monday. Sleekness eventually faded from their display, with the red card for Gael Clichy reflecting the rising tension.
Collective knowhow is precious and it had also seemed lacking when City were asked to deal with Napoli.
Manchester United were removed from the tournament, too, but their case was slightly more complicated. Some of those steeped in Champions League football have retired, Ryan Giggs is in the middle of taking his leave of the club and Rio Ferdinand is diminished by sheer wear and tear. It is no simple matter to piece together a revitalised line-up.
There have been virtually no limits to the means at City, but Mancini’s side were powerless against the known menace of Edinson Cavani, who took three goals against them over those two games with Napoli. The striker’s impact must continue to be respected, even if it appears that Chelsea will be better equipped to check him and others. Villas-Boas and his squad will surely proceed with caution.
Jose Mourinho, as is often the way, soaked up so much personal acclaim that people almost forget the calibre of the Internazionale side that beat Barcelona in the last four before defeating Bayern Munich in the 2010 final.
In the case of Milan, Arsenal meet a club that, to an extent, continue to rely on footballers of great experience. That policy can stand on the verge of self parody.
Milan’s starting line-up in the 3-2 loss to Barcelona at San Siro in this season’s group phase had five men aged 34 or over. They fared no worse than most against the Champions League holders, but the contrast with a rejuvenated Arsenal is marked.
The renovation at Chelsea could not conceivably have gone so far, since a newcomer must still be assessing the task. The current record overall does not remind anyone of the impregnability of old and a 5-3 defeat to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge made it seem as if the Mourinho legacy of pragmatism had been exhausted. Nonetheless, Villas-Boas has his methods and combined a very conservative strategy with victories against Valencia and then City.
All the same, he is attempting to negotiate the Champions League programme while also scheming the next phase of Chelsea’s evolution. Random factors are now coming to his aid. The tumult that arose from allegations about Terry occurred when the centre-half also looked less effective than before. With time, the steadiness is returning and it seemed to help him that the policy of defending in numbers has been critical in key wins over Valencia and City.
Villas-Boas also hankers after a Stamford Bridge atmosphere equivalent to that at Napoli’s Stadio San Paolo. He may be disappointed in that respect, but his tie and Arsenal’s are occasions to be relished.
