From Ronnie Cully in London

IF Celtic can overcome Arsenal to reach the Champions League Group stage it would be one of the greatest results in the club's history.

That's a huge statement given their achievements, including winning the European Cup in 1967. But it is one which stand-in captain Gary Caldwell believes he is entitled to make, and one with which he reckons even Billy McNeill, John Clark, Tommy Gemmell, Willie Wallace and the rest of the Lisbon Lions would concur.

It's based on the massive gulf between the clubs at the top of the English Premier League and their relatively poor neighbours from north of the border.

It also recognises the fact Celtic go into this second leg trailing 2-0.

As he prepared to lead them out at The Emirates, Caldwell explained why he believes getting through tonight would be bigger than recent wins over reigning European champions AC Milan and Manchester United.

He pointed to the fact those victories were achieved in the context of Group games, whereas tonight it's win or bust for Tony Mowbray's side against a team who are looking to make it 12 consecutive appearances in the Group stage.

Caldwell said: "It would be one of the greatest results in the club's history if we could knock Arsenal out.

"Even before we lost the first game, to knock them out would have been a fair achievement.

"But the fact we are 2-0 down going into the second leg away from home, to do it now would be one of the biggest results in our history."

Caldwell accepts this will raise a few eyebrows, especially among the older members of the club's support, perhaps even with Clark, who will be in the dug-out tonight.

But he insisted it is not pre-match rhetoric He added: "I know it is a big statement. But I'm sure John Clark, Big Billy and the rest of the Lisbon Lions would not begrudge us this.

"With football as it is nowadays - with the Champions League and all the money the big teams have - for us to knock Arsenal out on their own ground would be huge."