What Man City can learn from United, Liverpool, Chelsea and (maybe) Arsenal

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Manchester City have found Champions League football a struggle in their two seasons of top class continental competition thus far (their 1968 venture into the old European Cup format was similarly unsuccessful). Despite being Premier League champions, City crashed out of the group stage in 2011 and face a fight to avoid a similar fate in 2012, but is there always such a steep learning curve for English football's Champions League newcomers? talkSPORT takes a look at how the Premier League's most successful sides in the tournament fared in their first few seasons of Champions League combat…

Chelsea
They may have suffered some agonising near misses before winning the tournament, but the Blues took to the Champions League like ducks to water. Chelsea's first appearance in UEFA's showpiece event came in 1999/2000, when under the management of Gianluca Vialli they qualified from two tough group stages to reach the last eight, before losing a thrilling tie in second leg extra-time to Barcelona. They had to wait until 2003/04 for their next appearance, going one better with a semi-final showing, although that was not enough to save Claudio Ranieri's job as owner Roman Abramovich - having taken over at the Bridge in 2003 - spent a fortune chasing the cup. Subsequently, in their 10 appearances to date, Chelsea have never failed to get past the group stages, with their worst performances being last 16 exits to Barcelona in 2006 and Inter in 2010 (when both opponents went on to win that season's tournament).

A young Xavi is outfoxed by Chelsea's Gianfranco Zola as the Blues beat Barca 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in a 2000 quarter-final

Arsenal
The Gunners featured in just two editions of the old European Cup (1971/72 and 1991/92), with little success, and it took them a while to find their feet in the Champions League era. With Arsene Wenger in charge, Arsenal qualified for the tournament for the first time in 1998/99, but having switched their home games to the old Wembley, the Gunners disappointingly crashed out at the group stage. They fared no better at Wembley the following season, again limping out at the first round stage, but after switching their matches to Highbury in 2000/01, reached the quarter-finals for the first time. In the next four seasons Arsenal went no further than the last eight, until a memorable run in 2005/06 took them all the way to the final. That's as good as it's got for the Gunners, with 14 consecutive Champions League qualifications marred by their failure to land the big one.

Remi Garde appeals in vain for offside as Sergiy Rebrov fires a last minute equaliser for Dynamo Kiev at Wembley in 1998

Manchester United
The Red Devils were the first English club to have a love affair with the old European Cup, but after losing in the 1969 last four, the club went 24 years before gracing the tournament again. By that time it had been revamped and rechristened the Champions League and United were taught some tough lessons in their first few campaigns undee the new format. First time out, in 1993/94, United crashed out before the first group stage, despite cruising to double-winning glory in England. In 1994/95 they at least reached the group round, only to be knocked out following a particularly humbling 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Nou Camp. After quarter final and semi final appearances in 1998 and 1997 respectively, Sir Alex Ferguson's United landed the trophy at their fifth attempt in 1999.

Dejected Man United players troop off the pitch after being thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona in the Nou Camp

Liverpool
With four European Cups to their name by the mid-'80s - including 10 successive appearances in the tournament when only domestic champions or the holders qualified - Liverpool were head and shoulders above their domestic rivals when it came to success on the biggest stage of all. Then the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster led to English clubs being banned from European competition for five years, with Liverpool excluded for an extra year following their role at Heysel, and it would be a long time before the Reds were back with Europe's big guns. It wasn't until 2001 that they played in the revamped Champions League, but it was almost as if the tournament was in their DNA, as Gerard Houllier's UEFA Cup holders marched through two group stages and came within minutes of a last four showdown against Man United. The following season's campaign was a major disappointment, however, as Liverpool slid out in the group stage, coming back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Basle when only a win would be good enough. That experience seemed to serve them well, though, as the Reds – under the new management of Rafa Benitez – stormed to Champions League success in spectacular fashion at their third attempt in 2004/05.

Steven Gerrard rushes to celebrate with Jari Litmanen after the Finn put Liverpool on their way to a crucial 2-0 win against Roma in 2002

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