• Arsenal manager would welcome all-Premier League semi-final
• 'It would be a good chance to show we can do it against them'

Arsène Wenger said he would welcome the chance to face Manchester United or Chelsea in the Champions League quarter‑finals, after he watched his Arsenal team book their place in the last eight with a dismantling of Porto. They won 5-0 on the night for a 6-2 aggregate victory, thanks to a hat-trick from Nicklas Bendtner and outstanding contributions from Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin.

Arsenal have suffered at the hands of United and Chelsea in the Premier League this season, losing home and away to both. The home defeats were particularly demoralising and led to them seeing their title chances widely written off. Wenger has even suggested that his team have had a mental block against their principal rivals this season, which might have started when United knocked them out of the Champions League semi‑finals at the end of the last campaign. Yet he was keen to show that he would have no fear of either club were Arsenal to draw them in Europe's elite competition.

"I have a funny feeling that maybe it's good for us to play an English team," he said. "We have not done well against Chelsea and Man United this year and it would be a good chance to show we can do it against them."

When pressed on the issue, Wenger softened his stance, as though to guard against the "Bring on United and Chelsea" headlines. The Frenchman said: "What I want to say is that we do not choose Manchester United or Chelsea and maybe if I say, for example, we absolutely do not want to play an English team, I put ourselves already in an inferior position. I believe that maybe it's a good opportunity, if we do get them, to show that we can do well.

"First of all, I don't have the choice about who we draw. If I have the choice, I would say 'Yes' but I don't have the choice. If we do get them, we cannot do worse than we did in the championship. We can only do better.

"We will take the draw that we get. We do not have to make an obsession … for example, what I do not want is that we make a negative obsession of not playing against Chelsea or not playing against Manchester United. That's all."

Wenger could enjoy himself here at Emirates, after Bendtner proved his worth just three days after his horror show against Burnley in the Premier League, and his other attacking players turned on the style. "If I don't smile tonight, I will never smile," he said. "We controlled the game, we played our fluent football and our positive start with the early goals gave us the needed belief.

"Over the 90 minutes, we controlled 80. For the 10 that we didn't control, we suffered. They had a few chances at the start of the second half. But overall, we controlled the game, scored some great goals and we were good to watch. We did what we like to do. We won with style and we always went forward in a convincing way.

"At the start of the season, no one expected us to be where we are at the moment. We have mental strength, good desire and good quality but it's important that we continue to improve. There were still some weak moments that we can deal with better during the game. Before we speak about beating United or Barcelona, we have to improve. But we have a chance."

Although Bendtner took the plaudits, Wenger also praised Nasri and Arshavin. "Nasri is developing very well," the Frenchman said. "He has talent and he is starting to be efficient now. He made a great pass to Arshavin for the first goal [which Bendtner scored] and he scored a great goal himself.

"He can play in central midfield but when Cesc Fábregas is back, he will play wide. I like Arshavin, too. When he is one versus one with a player, you know that he will pass him. You need to be special to do that."