Newcastle United v Chelsea - Premier League - Source: Getty
Newcastle United v Chelsea - Premier League - Source: Getty
Chelsea icon Joe Cole believes Arsenal can win this season’s UEFA Champions League, telling fans to book their tickets for the final in Puskas Arena, Budapest.
The Champions League draw took place on February 27, as clubs learned their opponents for the last 16 and potential opponents for subsequent stages. Unlike Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City, who were handed a quite challenging route, Arsenal were given a much easier path to the final.
The Gunners will take on Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16. Should they get past the Bundesliga outfit, they will face either Bodo/Glimt or Sporting CP in the quarter-final. The only time they could take on a Champions League-winning side is in the semi-final, where they could meet Barcelona.
Speaking on The Dressing Room Podcast, Cole pointed out that teams that have won the UCL in the last ten years are not in Arsenal’s path to the final, arguing that the draw has ‘opened up’ for the north London club.
“Every team that has won it for the last ten years is on one side: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, so it has opened up for Arsenal,” Cole said. “I think, personally, it’s going to be an Arsenal versus Manchester City final. I think it will be an epic. I look at it, my only bet would be Arsenal going to the final. I’m not sure on the other side, with Manchester City you still don’t know because there’s too many good teams. Arsenal get to the final. They’re going to beat Bayer Leverkusen, they ain’t no cop [good], Sporting or Bodo/Glimt…’
Cole does not see Barcelona stopping Arsenal from getting to the final, suggesting that Hansi Flick cannot win the trophy at Barcelona with his high-line approach.
“In summary, the Champions League draw, they’ve opened it up, someone has rolled it across the goal for Arsenal. They cannot blow it… or can they? Arsenal fans, book your tickets for Budapest, in my opinion,” he concluded.
The Gunners are the only team with a 100 percent record in the competition after winning all eight matches in the league phase.
Toni Kroos rates Arsenal’s Champions League chances this season
Toni Kroos believes Arsenal’s chances of winning the Champions League this season have dwindled following their recent inconsistent form in the Premier League. The former Real Madrid midfielder had previously backed Mikel Arteta’s side as one of the best teams in the competition. However, he now believes there is no standout team.
“So in my opinion, there’s still no team just marching straight through,” he told Einfach mal Luppen. “I think we talked about this back in October – who the Champions League favourites were. We came to the conclusion that there wasn’t one team that was 100% convincing as the clear favourite. We also said: let’s wait and see a bit more.
“Now we’ve seen more – who’s really in top form? Back then, Arsenal were probably among the most consistent, but they’ve also dropped points here and there recently, which has allowed City to close the gap again.”
It remains to be seen whether the Gunners can replicate their league phase form in the knockout stages.