"I am happy for the club and the players because every year we were expected to do well in the Champions League, but were not there in the final four. This year nobody expected us to be there and we are there," Wenger said.

"We have been in positions which were easier to get through before and did not - but this year we have. In the end maybe people felt I was the handicap, so I am relieved for that," he added.

Gunners hold Italian champions Juventus to a goalless draw at the Stadio Delle Alpi on Wednesday to reach the UCL semi-finals with a 2-0 aggregate victory.

The French tactician hailed Arsenal's strong display in the second-leg tie against Juventus, describing Pavel Nedved's red card as a "turning point" in the game.

"I felt that overall we controlled the game well - as long as Juve did not score the game was not really on because we did not need to come out. Final turning point was, when we were under pressure, Nedved was sent off," he said.

"We missed chances as well, which would have killed the game off. We put doubt in Juve's mind in the first leg and they never really recovered from that," he added.

Arsenal will face Spanish side Villarreal, who surprisingly knocked out Italian giants Inter Milan, in the UCL semi-final.

"Now we have a big appetite and want to play well against Villarreal. You are in the semi-final, with two unexpected teams. It will be a 50:50 game," he said.

"Maybe the media will put us under a bit more pressure than before, but for me that will not be a problem," he added.