THE BOSS: The draw was not kind to Wenger once again

Their latest Champions League match-up will be the third time in just under a decade that the Gunners have faced the Spanish giants in a crunch tie.

The bad news for boss Arsene Wenger is that they have finished as losers each time.

Their biggest clash came in the 2006 final in Paris, where Sol Campbell gave 10-man Arsenal the lead before Barcelona scored two late goals through Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti to land the trophy.

In both 2010 and 2011, Wenger’s men had to go Spain in the knockout stages knowing their first leg efforts would probably not be enough to see them through.

In 2010, they drew 2-2 at the Emirates but were smashed 4-1 in the quarter-final second-leg, with superstar Lionel Messi grabbing all four goals.

“Once he’s on the run, Messi is unstoppable,” said Wenger after the mauling.

The following year, in the last 16, a 2-1 home win was not enough as Argentine ace Messi inspired Barca again, with two goals in a 3-1 victory.

In six attempts overall they have only won once so let’s just say the omens aren’t great for Arsenal.

But it should at least be a spectacle of scintillating football.

“Arsenal and Barcelona have a similar style of play,” Barca director Albert Soler said.

“Football fans will enjoy themselves, we’re two sides that play similar styles with a similar understanding of the game.

“They will be two great games. We must have maximum respect for Arsenal, they’re a great side and although we will have a difficult task facing us, it will be a guaranteed spectacle of football.”

London rivals Chelsea also drew a team they have become familiar with - but wanted very much to avoid - in Paris St-Germain.

In the last 11 years, they have faced the French outfit three times, winning twice but being dumped out in the last 16 on the away-goals rule a year ago.

Having drawn 1-1 in France, they looked as good as through at Stamford Bridge when they were leading 2-1 in stoppage time, only for Thiago Silva to score at the death for 10-man PSG to shatter Jose Mourinho’s hopes of winning the trophy with a third team.

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It looks to be the worst possible draw for the struggling Blues, with PSG a staggering 17 points clear at the top of the France league and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 22 goals already for club and country.

The Swedish superstar, who was sent off in the last meeting, has warned his team-mates not to get carried away despite Chelsea’s domestic struggles.

“I think it doesn’t mean nothing because you have to be in shape when the Champions League games come,” he said.

“If you are good now it doesn’t mean you’re good in February when the games come.

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“We have to continue with this rhythm, train very hard like we do and believe in ourselves and I think the rest will come itself.”

Manchester City look to have by far the easiest test, landing Dynamo Kiev, who were second in Chelsea’s group.

But the game in Ukraine will be played in an empty 70,000-seat stadium.

Last month UEFA ordered Kiev to play their next three European home games behind closed doors as punishment for racist behaviour by fans during their group game against Chelsea in October.