"Our destiny is in our hands this evening and we must win. I believe that this team is good enough to go all the way in this competition. Let’s go out and show that this evening. These are the greatest weeks for any player. A big European tie then an FA Cup showdown on the weekend. I’m loving my football right now, and hope my performances will show that.

"Although I must admit, there have been many times this season when if someone had told me we’d still be in with a chance of getting through to the Champions’ League quarter-finals in March, I would have laughed at them. I’ve always believed we have the quality to win this competition but when you look at some of the points we’ve dropped against the likes of Bayern, Lyon and indeed Spartak Moscow, it’s a surprise that we’ve still got an interest in the competition.

"The way we’ve dropped some of these points has been extremely un-Arsenal. I didn’t travel to Moscow for the first meeting between us and Spartak but I remember when the boys got back following that disappointment, they were extremely subdued. I’ve rarely known such a quiet day at training as the day following that tie. It was a really depressing feeling.

"The great thing about Arsenal is that we always bounce back. I’ve rarely known such a club where you just know that a bad disappointment will be reacted to in a positive way. Yes, we lost 6-1 to Manchester United but then we beat West Ham 3-0. Tonight, we must bounce back from the disappointment, still felt in the camp, from our trip to Moscow last year."