Gunners seek to upset United

London - Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has called on his young teammates to prove their quality and potential Tuesday by overturning a 1-0 loss to Manchester United last week to reach the Champions League final.

Avoiding a rout in the first leg of the semifinals against the defending champions at Old Trafford last Wednesday felt almost like a victory for Arsenal, which had only one shot on target in contrast to United's persistent threat after John O'Shea's 18th-minute goal.

Fabregas knows the Gunners will have to improve their attack at Emirates Stadium to reach their second Champions League final in four seasons.

"It is a result which is not catastrophic at all, it is only 1-0 - we are capable of scoring two goals against Manchester United," Fabregas said Monday on his 22nd birthday. "At home we know we are very strong. We just have to play our game, be confident we can do it, because I know we can do it.

"For most of the players it could be the most important game of their career."

Arsenal, which confirmed qualification for next year's competition by beating Portsmouth 3-0 on Saturday, is without cup-tied forward Andrei Arshavin, but striker Robin van Persie will return after being sidelined for more than two weeks with a groin injury.

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's manager of 13 years, said putting his players under pressure to perform wouldn't produce the win required.

"To play football well, you have to be happy," said the Frenchman, who is looking to end a four-year trophy drought. "It's not because you say to players that 'if you don't do that, you will die'. That doesn't make them better players. Every football player who plays at the top level wants to be a super player and wants to win big trophies and we have a great opportunity to do that.

"My obsession is to play as well as possible and win as much as possible. I don't think that winning the Champions League is the sole motivation to continue as a coach."

Man United veteran Ryan Giggs is aware the three-time European champions have left themselves in a precarious position against Arsenal, which lost the 2006 final to Barcelona.

"Arsenal are a top team and they are capable of scoring goals, so we are under no illusions about how difficult this is going to be," Giggs said. "They have so many match-winners. (Cesc) Fabregas, (Emmanuel) Adebayor, (Theo) Walcott, Van Persie ...

"The threat is obvious, so you have to try and nullify it. But we have to try and stamp our own authority on the game because we have outstanding players ourselves."

United lost 2-1 at Arsenal in the Premier League in November, but a repeat of that result Tuesday would send the team through on away goals to the May 27 final in Rome against Barcelona or Chelsea.

United's main injury concern was Rio Ferdinand after he damaged his ribs and bruised a lung in the first leg. But the center back trained Monday after missing Saturday's 2-0 victory at Middlesbrough that kept United three points clear at the top of the league.

But Patrice Evra, who limped off at the Riverside with a leg injury, did not train in United's 15-minute session open to the media.

United beat Boro despite leaving out goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and midfielders Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher. While Cristiano Ronaldo and Anderson were left on the bench and Carlos Tevez and Nani only came on as substitutes.

Wayne Rooney, United's most in-form player, played the full match _ just as he did against Arsenal.

A big concern for United manager Alex Ferguson will be the possibility of Rooney picking up a booking that would rule him out of the final. Also in that predicament are Tevez and Evra. For Arsenal, Abou Diaby, Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Van Persie will miss out if they are booked.

Fabregas said Arsenal should not be concerned by the difference in transfer fees and ages between his side and United's. The average age of Arsenal's team at Old Trafford was 24 compared to United's 27.

"It doesn't mean that because one player costs 20 million pounds, he is better than one that cost 2 million," the Spain midfielder said. "It's been shown with the likes of Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry.

"They are the best players in the world, have won the World Cup, European Championships and some players who have cost 20 or 30 million (pounds) haven't won anything. It doesn't mean anything. We know what we can do, we know we are good."