Arsene Wenger has challenged Arsenal to do their talking on the pitch when they begin their Champions League campaign against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The Gunners reached the final in 2006, when they lost to Barcelona, but have failed to progress beyond the last 16 in the last six seasons.
Wenger, who has entered the last year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium, is under particular pressure to mount a serious challenge for the latter stages as question marks remain over his long-term future.
And, though the 66-year-old says his personal circumstances have no bearing on their aims for this term, he is keen to see his side produce some of their best football against the continent’s elite.
“I just focus on the next game. I think I’ve played over 170 games in the Champions League – you want to do well in the next one. My personal case is not at stake in that,” he said.
“Last year, we were second in the group because Bayern [Munich] were in front of us. We did beat Bayern at home, but they were more consistent. What we need to do to win the group is to get a good result here tomorrow.
“Better than all my speeches is the way we play and the dynamic we can put into the games. If you look at the results over the weekend, our championship is very intense. We’re used to playing with that intensity in the Champions League. But better than talking is playing well.
“I was used to much younger squads when we didn’t have the resources. Now I have a team of more experienced players. The squad is between 24 and 30, basically, which is where you have a good combination of physical strengths and experience.”
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