"This is undoubtedly one of the top sporting events in London for years and naturally people are prepared to pay way over the odds for tickets. But there is a limit and the suppliers must be more realistic."
Arsenal's official allocation of 2,934 tickets for Wednesday night's game was snapped up in minutes yesterday, leaving thousands of fans disappointed.
With just 2,800 Chelsea tickets for the away leg at Highbury on 6 April - only available to those who have attended the last six Champions League away games - the scramble is guaranteed to intensify.
The touts know that if the tie is still in the balance after the first leg, tickets will become even more sought after for Highbury.
The clubs had hoped to avoid being drawn against each other at this stage, but the financial rewards are huge. The two games are worth £3 million in prize money and gate receipts for the winning club.
Qualifying for the last four would be worth at least another £2 million from television. Add to that a potential £4.3 million prize for winning the competition and the two games open the way for a windfall of more than £10million.
