Arsene Wenger has told the media that he feels this is the strongest squad he’s had in a while but ‘always believed we had a chance’ when he played the youngsters in the Champions League.

He’s hardly going to say something different really, is he?

Anyway, while we all know that the boss was restricted financially for the first decade after the move to the Emirates, not everyone gives him the leeway that should come with this.

Now, with the restrictions lifted (Arsenal spent £96m in the summer), Wenger believes his side are well placed to make it past the last 16 in the Champions League this season.

“I was used to playing with younger squads because, when you build a new ground like the Emirates Stadium, you don’t have the resources,” said Wenger.

“Now I have a team with more experienced players. There are exceptions, obviously, but the majority of the squad is basically between 24 and 30 in age. That’s where you have a good combination of physical strength and experience.

“They are not 19 or 20 years old. This is one of my strongest squads, certainly. And certainly one of the oldest as well. I always believed we had a chance, even when we had young players but, certainly, I haven’t had a squad of players [like this] for a long time; full of players who have enough experience to compete.”

Wenger is expected to hand a start to Olivier Giroud against PSG who has yet to begin a game while Alexis Sanchez and Granit Xhaka should both come back into the starting lineup.

Laurent Koscielny is good to go after the cheek injury he picked up against Southampton when Jose Fonte kicked him in the face was not as bad as first feared.