Arsene Wenger has backed Leeds to beat Valencia, insisting that the Spanish side is "weaker than Arsenal". "It meant a lot to us and now we have to face the reality of where we are now," said Wenger. "But we should still be in the competition. I think their side is weaker than Arsenal's and I think Leeds have a good chance of beating them."
"It's very hard to accept to go out on the night. The first 25 minutes were difficult, but when you think how many shots our goalkeeper had to save and you still go out, it's very frustrating. He added: "I cannot say we played badly but we could not score and gave a stupid goal away. After that second half we should not have lost the game. If you look at the shots we had in the second half, it's unbelievable."
Wenger admitted that next year's Champions League might be much tougher to progress in. "Hopefully, we will be back in the Champions League next year. But there are no guarantees and we might not get a chance like this again. All the Italian teams went out by the second phase this time and we know that won't be the case every season. We have paid a high price for one second's lack of concentration. We had looked quite comfortable until then and the crowd were turning against Valencia," he said.
Dejected Arsenal striker Thierry Henry said: "We're all bitterly disappointed. We played well and deserved to go through. But we will pick ourselves up for the rest of the season. We have to." Valencia's goalscorer Carew, who Arsenal tried to sign last summer, believes that his team's European experience was the difference between the sides. "We got to the final last year and it's important experience that I don't think Arsenal had. It's definitely the most important goal of my career, so I'm very happy." Looking ahead to the Champions League semi-final against Leeds, Carew said: "I think Leeds are a more physical team. It will be as tough as it has been against Arsenal."
Filed by Greg McKevitt
