Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia says now is the time for Arsenal to deliver on the big stage.
The Barclays Premier League club face Spanish outfit Villarreal for a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the first leg at the intimidating El Madrigal stadium on Tuesday night.
Over the past three months the Gunners have slowly regained momentum, an unbeaten run of 17 Barclays Premier League matches taking them back into the top four while they have also secured an FA Cup semi-final date against Chelsea at Wembley.
Wenger has long championed the potential of the current crop of players, which he believes could become Arsenal's most successful side and just need to get a first trophy to cement that belief.
Almunia, 31, sees no reason why the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott cannot fire the Gunners to success in 2009.
"It looks to be the season for the young players to be man enough to face all the big competitions we have," he said.
"Players like Alex Song, Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott - when these players are 100 per cent fit, they can be mentally prepared to be totally professional, and they have the potential to win trophies.
"We can win every single game and we are here to do it."
Almunia added: "Villarreal are a difficult team, but we do not fear them.
"Technically, Villarreal are not better than Arsenal. We have a lot of talent in our team.
"Villarreal have very good technical players, because that is the Spanish game - but we do not play the typical English football.
"Arsenal play lovely football, and to do that you need good players technically."
Almunia watched from the bench the last time Arsenal took on the Yellow Submarine as Wenger's men secured the goalless draw they needed to progress to the 2006 Champions League final, courtesy of a dramatic late penalty save from Jens Lehmann.
Fabregas, now Gunners skipper, was in the starting XI that night, and marked his return from a three-month injury lay-off to set up both goals for fit-again Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the 2-0 Barclays Premier League win over Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal, though, must again do without leading scorer Robin van Persie, who suffered a groin problem while away with Holland during the international break, but winger Samir Nasri travelled to Spain after being laid low by a virus.
Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin is ineligible for the Champions League having played for Zenit St Petersburg during the group stages before his January transfer to north London.
(From website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1615284,00.html)
