Never mind Arsenal. It’s Napoli who should be kicking themselves. Twelve points and they still go out after appearing, like Manchester City the night before, to have an inadequate grasp of the mathematics involved.
Arsenal, having matched the Italians head-to-head, are through not by virtue of their vaunted creativity but because Arsene Wenger’s defence conceded fewer goals than Rafa Benitez’s. And that’s about as encouraging as it gets as the Premier League leaders prepare, with cruel brevity, for the toughest task in English football.
They face Manchester City, who average more than four goals in beating all domestic visitors to the Etihad, with a minimum of 24 hours’ less rest than their opponents and, in several key cases, a lot more weight in their legs.
Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud, for example, played 90 minutes each in Naples. By contrast, City gave Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero the night off in Munich — and still beat the Champions League holders.
It’s ominous to recall what happened last time Arsenal went to Manchester. Likewise at the end of a hard week in Europe, they lost 1-0 against United: a result that, in the light of what Everton and Newcastle have done at Old Trafford, was less respectable than it seemed at the time.
A little weariness cost them. Ozil and Giroud were among those who manifested it. If the same happens on Saturday, City will be only three points behind Arsenal and the race wide open again. A month hence even United, whose next fixtures appear less demanding than Arsenal’s, might have reduced the deficit.
So should Wenger have rotated last night? Not if it led to the second-rate distraction of the Europa League. It will be demanding in the big one — but things could be worse. If you’re going to win the Champions League, you must beat the best. And, if you can’t, you can finally focus on the marathon back home.
