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You can expect to hear the term ‘Battle of Britain' quite a lot in the next few weeks as once again in the Champions League, top teams from Scotland and England have been thrown together and this time there is so much at stake.
Arsenal will start the favourites for their clash against Celtic but over two legs, who knows what might happen. Celtic have already shown they are up for a battle this season with a highly impressive 2-0 away victory over Dynamo Moscow showing that the club have shed their weariness on the road. Strikers Scott McDonald and Georgios Samaras got goals in the dying seconds of each half to bundle the Glasgow giants into the next round.
A 1-0 home defeat by the Russians left virtually everyone writing off Celtic's opportunity of progressing but they showed strength and fortitude to triumph on Russian soil.
Arshavin and Fabregas – A Terrifying Duo
However, it is obvious that Arsenal will represent a very different threat and you have to think if the Gunners perform to anywhere near their best, they will be able to negotiate the final hurdle into the Champions League comfortably.
The Celtic backline has its problems domestically with bruising forwards and balls into the box, which ironically enough are two areas where Arsenal don't excel at. However, when you have players like Andrei Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas playing, it is not as if you have to throw endless balls into the box to succeed. If Celtic are to have any chance of success, they will need their new defensive midfield master to be at the top of his game.
In just two competitive games and a handful of friendlies, loan signing from Nancy, Landra N'Guemo has given the Hoops fans a lot of hope that he can be a main man this season and he will be key to stopping Arsenal. If the Cameroon international can prevent Arshavin and Fabregas from prancing into the box, a swift counter attack may allow Scott Brown or Aiden McGeady to counter and maybe put the Arsenal rearguard under attack.
Boruc - Best Keeper at Both Clubs
If there is one area where Celtic have an advantage over Arsenal it is in goals with Artur Boruc being the best goalkeeper on the books of either club. Almunia at Arsenal is highly regarded but still fails to command his box or make pressure situations his own whereas Arsenal's next goalkeeper Fabiankski is rated lower than Boruc in the Polish national team. Off-field problems last year may have caused Boruc to take his eye off the ball but early indications prove that he is back to his best and the Polish stopper will need to be if he wants to play in this seasons Champions League.
Two seasons ago, Boruc was a key factor in Celtic progressing to the group stages with his save in the penalty shoot-out against Spartak Moscow being the deciding factor in a crucial two legged affair. The season before that, Boruc was also the hero with a late penalty save from Louis Saha which allowed Celtic to defeat English champions Manchester United 1-0 in a game which saw them qualify for the last 16.
That night proved that Celtic have what it takes to beat the pride of England and examining the other group game between they two teams that season saw United triumph 3-2 at Old Trafford. In a two legged tie, this would have seen Celtic progress ahead of United and it has to be said, that united team was a lot stronger than the current Celtic line-up. However, there has also been a dip in the quality of the current Celtic team so both teams will be looking for other omens to suggest they will be taking part in the group stages this year.
History on Celtic's Side
The two clubs have played numerous times in friendlies and testimonials but the only really competitive match between the two sides took place in 1953, as part of the Coronation Cup, a trophy contested to celebrate the coronation of the current reigning UK monarch. This tournament took place before the advent of European football and was fiercely contested by eight of the top teams in Britain. In the quarter finals, Celtic defeated Arsenal by a score of 1-0 and went on to lift the Coronation Cup. There was a delicious irony about this for Celtic fans, particularly given their relationship to the Royal Family. As it was over 50 years ago, there is not much that can be taken from that tournament into the forthcoming ties but it does indicate that upsets can happen.
One thing that Arsenal fans will take comfort from will be the ease with which they dismantled Scottish champions Rangers at the Emirates recently. A virtual Arsenal reserve team, with Jack Wilshere on top form, ran all over Rangers and could have scored a lot more than their three goals. If that match was any indication of the gulf in class between the top teams in Scotland and England then it may well be that this qualifier is a foregone conclusion.
Rangers barely caused the Arsenal back line any difficulties but the recent victory over Dynamo Moscow would suggest that Celtic may be better equipped to take on European opponents. Another issue for Arsenal may be the fact that the Champions League games come amidst a particularly difficult English Premier League fixture list and their focus may not be fully focused on the matches versus Celtic.
Tough Times for Arsenal in the EPL
A few days before their trip to Parkhead, Arsenal travel to Goodison Park to take on Everton in their opening fixture and a few days after their home tie against Celtic, Arsenal will be heading to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. These are tricky ties at the best of times but when it comes to juggling these games with two tricky Champions League qualifiers, it is easy to see that Arsenal may have a lot to contend with.
If the tie runs to form you can expect to see Arsenal taking their place in the group stages of the Champions League but if Celtic get some good fortune and perhaps a goal from Marc Antoine Fortune, the green and white hoops may be celebrating and looking forward to some big trips in the big European trophy.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
