‘It’s missing there’ - Wenger backs Arsenal to lift UCL trophy, claims the time has come

The Gunners are set to face French side Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Budapest on Saturday after recently winning the Premier League title.

Wenger came agonisingly close to winning the competition himself in 2006. His Arsenal team, reduced to ten men after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off, took the lead against Barcelona through a Sol Campbell header. 

However, a late comeback inspired by Henrik Larsson saw Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti score to give the Catalan giants the victory.

Wenger, who led the North London club for 22 years, believes it is time for Mikel Arteta's side to complete what he calls the "missing" piece of their storied history.

"I want this trophy to go to the Emirates because it’s missing there," Wenger told UEFA. "We touched it before—we were thirteen minutes away from winning it—so you want it to happen this time."

He continued: "I’ve always said that you work in a club to make sure it’s in a good position to continue to progress. Overall, I believe this is a stage where we can grab it."

"I still believe it’s fifty-fifty in the final, and if I had to bet, I would bet on Arsenal more than on Paris Saint-Germain," he stated.

"I feel the club deserves it, this season deserves it and the consistency of the team deserves it. When I arrived at Arsenal, the club had very little Champions League history. 

“Then we had 20 consecutive years of qualification, and now the crown of that history would be to become champions."

Wenger concluded, "I think Arsenal have slowly built a history that now allows them to win it. I also feel the time has come for Arsenal to dominate the Premier League consistently."