Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger praised his side’s resilience after they secured their path into the last 16. The Gunners looked to have been crashing out of the competition after lying bottom of Group B after three games. “Fortunes can change very quickly in football,” said Wenger. I am very proud of the way my boys have turned round a situation that no one expected them to turn round.” The Frenchman highlighted that it would have been a huge failure if the club did not qualify. He said: “It would have been a big blow for everyone at the club to have come so far and got so close only to lose out again.” Wenger now believes that the club can progress further in Europe and justify their fifth-place ranking going into the competition. “There is a bit of reluctance among some people to give us credit in Europe,” he said. “We were ranked fifth at the start of this competition.” The Arsenal boss sounded a warning to the remaining 16 teams left in the competition. “We will take anybody in the next round,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. We believe we are in a better position than ever before to do well in Europe.”
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