Wenger weary of Seville threat

They may be UEFA Champions League debutants but Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger is under no illusions as to the quality of their opening night opponents, describing Sevilla FC as "one of the best sides in Europe".

Tricky opponents
Arsenal meet the two-times UEFA Cup holders in London on Wednesday and Wenger, who is embarking on his tenth consecutive UEFA Champions League campaign as Gunners manager, knows that the Spanish side will prove tricky opponents, even if it is their first taste of action in Europe's élite club competition. "I know Sevilla very well and I think that they are one of the best sides in Europe," Wenger told uefa.com.

Important start
The 57-year-old Frenchman, whose side lost the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League final against FC Barcelona, also understands the importance of a good start in the competition. "It is a match which, from the very start, will dictate the potential of the two sides," he said. "It is important for us to play well as we are at home and we will need to be very focused both to prove that we are good enough at this level and, more importantly, to put us in a good position to qualify."

'Huge pleasure'
Wenger recently extended his contract until June 2011 and after agreeing to a deal that will in all likelihood make him Arsenal's longest serving manager, it is clear that he has lost none of his enthusiasm for his quest to clinch the ultimate European prize that still eludes him. "I'm looking forward to being involved in matches of the highest level," he said. "It's exciting, an adventure which, unfortunately, can often lead to disappointment because you can't reach the final every year but it's always a huge pleasure to be involved."

Improving quality
Arsenal's impressive start to the domestic campaign has seen them top the Premier League after five games and has also given Wenger great cause for optimism, although he is not looking any farther ahead than qualifying from a group containing Sevilla, FC Steaua Bucureşti and SK Slavia Praha: "Our first expectation is to qualify from the group stage. Then you hope for a draw that will allow you to go as far as possible. But I'm mainly hoping that we qualify from the group stage and that we play well because the quality of the competition improves year on year."