Premier League’s fading influence in Europe adds extra spice to ties against Serie A’s Milan and Napoli
The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League must leave Arsenal and Chelsea uneasy. In the encounters with Milan and Napoli respectively, it is at least feasible that they could be forced to give up their lives as part of a broad, rejuvenating trend in which England’s impact recedes a little. The Premier League clubs learned that the benefit of topping their groups lay purely in the fact that they have the first leg away.
The appeal is still great for Arsenal. “We have good memories at San Siro,” Arsène Wenger said, referring to the 2-0 win over Milan there in 2008 that swept his club into the quarter-finals. That is a help of sorts, but it cannot eliminate all disquiet in England. Manchester City’s elimination had much to do with the single point taken from the group games with Napoli and now Chelsea must study the footage exhaustively.
It will not be lost on André Villas-Boas and his squad that they are as close to being City’s counterparts as is feasible, given the sums plunged into each club. All the same,
