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Liverpool manager Arne Slot has backed Arsenal to finish in the top eight in the first phase of the Champions League
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is being proved right after insisting he was “95 per cent” sure Arsenal would clinch a top-eight spot in the first phase of the Champions League. The Gunners sit third in the Champions League table, two points behind Barcelona in second and five behind the Reds in first.
The 2024-25 competition is the inaugural season of a new format. 36 teams are put into one league table with sides drawn to play eight teams, four at home and four away. The top eight sides after the first set of fixtures will earn an automatic spot in the round of 16 while the teams placed between ninth and 24th will go into a play-off round for the remaining eight spots in the round of 16. Ahead of Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Girona and Arsenals’ 3-0 victory over Monaco, Slot was asked if avoiding the play-off round could be a 'big advantage' in the Premier League title race - with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal currently leading the way on that front.
However, Slot insisted there could prove to be no advantage as he expressed his belief that the Gunners would likely be alongside Liverpool in the top eight - with Arsenal’s latest win putting them a step closer to sealing a spot in the round of 16. Speaking ahead of both games this week, Slot said: “It could, but if we end up in the top eight I assume these clubs you were just mentioning end up in the top eight as well. So, I think Arsenal 95 per cent sure, [Manchester] City have to do a bit more maybe but they are able to win three times in a row as well, so then they will be in [the] top eight.
“But you never know if it's an advantage. Until now we've played almost every three days and we haven't done that bad, so maybe we should implement some friendly games if we finish top eight! No, it's a joke of course! It hasn't been bad for us that we've played so many games but we are pushing really hard to end up top eight to have the best possible seeding, but definitely also to skip that round.”
Reflecting on his side’s latest Champions League win, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Bukayo Sak who scored twice to put the North London outfit a step closer to the next round. Arteta said: “He keeps surprising us, and that’s what he wants to do. That’s the quality that he has, that’s the ambition that he has and how he’s preparing himself every day. It’s very difficult to do what he’s doing. What he’s done in his first six years of professional football is exceptional. His aim is to improve. He has the players and the environment around him to continue to do that and I’m sure he will.
“He has developed in the right way, mentally, physically, his condition, and his preparation, and now he has got the habit to play every three days and he is consistently doing that at the highest level. He is a great example because how he behaves daily, and what he wants to do, which is to give his best version every day. He is very humble, a great guy to have around the place and an incredible talent. He’s making the difference for us.”
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