'09 GUNNERS ARE A TOURE DE FORCE; Kolo: We're even better than the team which reached final in '06.

Byline: JOHN CROSS

KOLO TOURE believes Arsenal's young Gunners are better equipped to win the Champions League than the class of 2006.

Ivory Coast defender Toure was part of the Arsenal team which lost to Barcelona in Paris three years ago when they were desperately close to being crowned European champions.

Toure says the pressure is on Manchester United because they are expected to beat Arsene Wenger's new generation of young players who have replaced the likes of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.

But the centre-half says Old Trafford will not hold any fears for the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott because they have even more exciting potential than their predecessors.

Toure said: "The Champions League is a massive trophy for us. It's our second semi-final since I've been here, we have never won it and we now have the chance. We will go for it - we are not scared.

"At the start of this season, nobody expected us to be where we are. We just need to play free, give 100 per cent and see where we end up.

"It's true we lost a player like Thierry Henry, which is difficult, but Adebayor is playing really well. We lost a player like Robert Pires but we have Samir Nasri. All those players have been replaced.

"The good thing about this team is we have a lot of young players who want to show they have the quality.

"I remember that a team like Ajax - nobody was expecting them to win in 1995 - but they did and had a really young team as well. We can do that.

"It is more exciting because it is always really passionate when you see young players playing and you think they have the quality but sometimes the experience is really important.

"But we have been together for a few years and we are going to learn from our mistakes and we hope not to make any more."

Toure was even more bullish about Arsenal's chances of overcoming the odds against United at Old Trafford tomorrow night.

The vice-captain believes United will "struggle" against Arsenal's free-flowing football and insists they can expose Sir Alex Ferguson's leaky defence.

He added: "There is more pressure on them because they are the team to beat.

"We know when we play football against Manchester United, they struggle a lot.

"They are a really good team going forward but they have conceded a few goals.

"We both like to play but sometimes you can be caught out at the back. I think the team that will win will be the one that defends the best.

"If we can win there, fantastic, if we come away with a draw, it will be really good."

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FINAL SHOUT Toure says the Gunners have nothing to fear and are better than the team which lost to Barcelona in 2006 (below)