Claudio Ranieri believes Arsenal's success is partly down to luck as he tries to end the Gunners' impressive record over Chelsea, but he knows history is against him in today's FA Cup quarter-final at Highbury.
Even with the distraction of a must-win Champions League game against Roma coming up next week which suggests Arsène Wenger may rest key players, Chelsea's opponents will be just as difficult to beat. "Arsenal want to win all the cups," said Ranieri, "but in England we are used to playing big games every few days. They are focused enough, I am sure, and I think they want to go forward in the FA Cup as much as we do.
"I have watched many matches at Highbury and while Arsenal are sometimes lucky to win matches in the English competitions, they are sometimes unlucky in the Champions League.
"But nobody can say they are a team who depend on luck. They are a great team and everything they touch seems to turn to goals. When they have a little luck in Europe I think they can take away the Champions League as well as all the cups here."
Thierry Henry may well start on the bench this afternoon, as he did against Manchester United in the previous round, but Ranieri is full of admiration for the forward tipped to win footballer of the year.
"When he plays, it's fantastic and I love to watch him. As a lover of football I hope he plays but as a rival manager - no."
Ranieri's admiration for Arsenal leaves him no room for bitterness when he looks back to a poor record against the Gunners. The statistics do not give Chelsea much of a chance. Arsenal are unbeaten in 13 FA Cup matches at Highbury and Chelsea have not beaten them in the Cup there for 56 years.
Given that Arsenal are five points clear in the Premiership, remain unbeaten in 18 games and beat Chelsea in last season's final in Cardiff as well as in the Premiership game at Highbury on New Year's Day the omens do not bode well for Ranieri.
The Chelsea manager expects to have the former Arsenal midfielder Manu Petit back from injury although he admitted that his defenders Graeme le Saux and Marcel Desailly were lacking match fitness.
