European Football Champions League - Optimism at Chelsea Arsenal Manchester United and Liverpool
Last updated 10/24/2008 10:43:37 AM
European Football Champions League
With the European Champions League half way through the six match programme English teams lead four of the eight tables with not a defeat amongst them.
This latest round was key with the reverse fixtures scheduled for next week(November 4 and 5) and there is no indication that holders Manchester United, runners up Chelsea , Arsenal and Liverpool are in any danger of not making it through to the knock out stages with bookmakers having Chelsea and United as their favourites to repeat last season's final.
The stand out performance this round was from the young Arsenal side ( average age 22) who went to the fearsome Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul and stunned Fenerbahce 5-2 with an under strength team.
Remember the Turkish side had gone undefeated in 15 games in their own intimidating stadium in the competition and, clearly, their fans expected them to overturn this young Gunners team, short of three of their top defenders.
Manager Arsene Wenger, celebrating his 59th birthday, fooled them. Instead of trying to defend, Arsenal launched themselves at their opponents and scored through Emmanuel Adebayor and the precocious Theo Walcott in the first 11 minutes.
Twice Fenerbahce almost worked their way back into the game but Arsenal simply bounced back and scored further goals through Abou Diaby, Alex Song and 17 year old Welsh international substitute Aaron Ramsey with a confident rather than optimistic strike.
It showed the confidence England's top teams have against ALL European opposition and further concerns for UEFA President Michel Platini who continues to fret about the English dominance of their competition.
With two of their three remaining games scheduled for the Emirates there should be no problems and much the same applies to Manchester United who dismissed Scottish rivals Celtic 3-0 at Old Trafford to keep a firm grip on the group.