Wenger vows to beat Milan and win respect of Europe

The Arsenal manager predicted Champions League glory if they can overcome the reigning European champions in the second leg and become the first English team to beat the seven-time winners of the competition in their own stadium.

Wenger, who left Kolo Toure in England after he failed to recover from a knee complaint, said: 'If you ask me, no matter what happens against Milan, we are already as strong as them.

'The form team will win on the day, but my team will achieve great things. teams win major trophies and that means we have to be consistent at the top level.

'Of course Milan and Manchester United have been great sides, but we have had great sides as well. Don't forget we were unbeaten over a whole season.

'You see Inter Milan dominating their championship and it needs something special to do that. Beyond that, you have what I call "the great sides" who make history — they are the teams who win the European Cup three or four times, but there haven't been many of them in the competition's history.'

Milan, Real Madrid and Ajax have dominated the European Cup, but Arsenal want to muscle in on the Champions League success story.

They overcame Real Madrid and Juventus on the way to reaching the final before they were eventually beaten by Barcelona in 2005, but beating Milan would be another significant step in the right direction.

Wenger added: 'I can play a great shot in tennis, but to be a great player I need to be consistent. I can have a great shot in golf, but to be a great player I need to be consistent.

'That means consistency is the first mark of a top team and we have that. We are a young side, but who are the only teams to lose only one game in their championship? Inter Milan and us.

'Ideally, we would have scored in the first leg, but we delivered the game we wanted to deliver.'

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie travelled with the team to Milan on Monday afternoon, but he will be available only as a substitute.

The Dutchman has been out for five months with a thigh injury and Wenger conceded that it would be too early to risk starting him.

Wenger said: 'He can come on and play a part in the game. He can be an influence if the pace drops in the game, but it is too early for him to play at a high pace. Medically, I don't think there's a risk.'

Meanwhile, Milan's Kaka broke the hearts of the Barclays Premier League's top teams when he revealed that Andriy Shevchenko has told him it would be a mistake to quit the Italian club.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool would break the bank to sign the world player of the year, but the Brazilian is staying at the San Siro after signing a new five-year contract.

Shevchenko's disastrous spell in English football has convinced Kaka to concentrate on his career with Milan.

Kaka said: 'I've seen players like Shevchenko who leave Milan and then regret it. Sheva told me to consider my choices very carefully because this club is so special.

'It will be a special game against Arsenal. I can already picture a packed-out San Siro, like it was against Celtic last season. Arsenal are a very strong team but, in the crucial moments, Milan never betray their fans.'

The striker did call for protection from the referee, saying: 'We need to change the situation where talented players are getting kicked all the time. I am tired of being booted in Italy. It's up to referees to protect players who want to play football.'