Chelsea
and Arsenal have been handed the "toughest" draws in the Champions League
round of 16, according to Ray Wilkins and Tony Cottee, after the London
clubs were paired with Paris St-Germain and reigning champions Barcelona
respectively.
After finishing second in their group behind Bayern Munch, Arsenal will play
Barcelona, who won the treble under Luis Enrique last year, at home first,
while Jose Mourinho's side will travel to play PSG for the third year in a
row in the competition.
Manchester City were handed what looks like a kinder draw against Dynamo
Kiev but Wilkins and Cottee fear the worst for the other two English sides.
"Barcelona are the team to beat, they are the best team in the competition
and it was the last team you would want to draw against," Cottee told
Sky Sports News HQ. "And they are at home in the first leg because they
finished second in their group.
"We have said it so many times about Arsenal, you have to win the group,
they didn't do that and they are now paying the price for that. It is a
horrible draw for Arsenal.
"Of our three representatives I think Manchester City have got the best
chance of winning it. They've got the best draw and they will be well
pleased with that. Not so good for Arsenal and Chelsea."
PSG finished second behind Real Madrid in their group and lead Ligue 1 by 17
points on the domestic front. They knocked Chelsea out at this stage last
season on away goals.
Former Blues assistant manager Wilkins said Laurent Blanc's team were the
only ones he feared the Stamford Bridge side being paired with.
"That was the only one I didn't want them to get," he said. "Chelsea were
playing wonderfully well last season, PSG have already won the French
league, they must be 17 points clear now and it's not even Christmas.
"So that was the only team out of that batch of teams they could have got
that I didn't want them to get.
"Last year I would have taken it all day long because Chelsea were playing
wonderfully well but this year I didn't want that at all. They have got a
big, big problem now.
"It doesn't matter who you play at this level, there are always going to be
tough games but there are tougher games. Our guys have pulled out the
toughest."
Cottee is hopeful that, with two months before the ties take place in
February, Chelsea can arrest their disappointing start to the season and be
better placed to face PSG when the ties come around.
"Chelsea need to get their league form sorted out, starting [against
Leicester], they need to go on a run, get into mid-table and the top half
and by the time these games come around, let's not forget we are talking
February, Chelsea will be in a much better run of form, hopefully.
"They probably won't be looking to win the league or might not even be able
to get in Champions League places in terms of top four but they can
concentrate on that game and that is two big games against PSG."
The Champions League round of 16 first-legs will take place on February
16-17 and 23-24. The return legs are on March 8-9 and 15-16.
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