Gunners face stiff Barcelona test

Arsenal face a stiff task in the last 16 of the Champions League after they were drawn against Spanish champions Barcelona.

The Gunners have never beaten the Catalan giants in Europe and were knocked out by Barca in the quarter-finals last season after drawing 2-2 at Emirates Stadium before being taken apart 4-1 at the Nou Camp thanks to a virtuoso display by Lionel Messi. 

Arsene Wenger said it would be "difficult but possible" for Arsenal to overcome the tournament favourites.

He told the club's website: "Revenge is not on my mind. We want to qualify and we want to knock them out. So is it difficult? Yes. Is it possible? Yes.

"Barcelona are certainly the favourites [for the competition] and a famous team but, on their side, they did not want us either because they know they will get a game.

"I think we are better than last year and we have a good opportunity to show that."

The match will also give Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas the chance to face his former club at the Nou Camp - he missed the away leg last year with a cracked bone in his fibula.

Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said: "Obviously there will be a lot of talk about Cesc until the tie starts. That's logical.

"He's a player who learnt his trade at Barca and for him it will be a very special game.

"He will be able to come up against his Spain team-mates and play in the Nou Camp with Barcelona as a rival, which he couldn't do last season."