Rio Ferdinand on Arsenal
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Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has cast doubt on Arsenal ’s chances of winning the Champions League, insisting that Mikel Arteta’s side would struggle against several potential quarter-final opponents.
Despite Arsenal’s emphatic 7-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven earlier this week—a record-breaking away win in the Champions League knockout stage—Ferdinand remains unconvinced about their credentials.
The Gunners travelled to Holland following back-to-back disappointing performances in the Premier League, where they saw Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the table to 13 points. Concerns had grown over Arsenal’s attacking struggles, but their dominant display against PSV suggested a return to form.
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However, Ferdinand believes Arsenal rank only as the “fifth-best team” on their side of the Champions League draw and would likely be eliminated by stronger opposition.
Speaking on hisYouTube channel, Ferdinand assessed Arsenal’s position in the tournament and pointed to four teams he considers superior.
“I think they’re probably the fifth-best team in the Champions League on that side of the draw,” he said. “I’m not even talking about the whole competition—just that side of the draw.
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“They’re behind Liverpool, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal are the fifth-best team there. That’s mad.
“They’ve gone further away from where they were last year. They’ve gone backwards, I do believe that. The recruitment needs to be shifted a little bit.
“You can’t have a CDM [Mikel Merino] playing up front when you’re trying to win the Premier League and Champions League. They had an opportunity in January [to sign a new striker] but there wasn’t much available.
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“I definitely would have made a beeline for a centre-forward, 100%. Kai Havertz has done an okay job, but you need an out-and-out No. 9, surely.”
The north London club will face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final clash against Liverpool, PSG, Aston Villa, or Club Brugge.
Meanwhile, the other side of the draw features European heavyweights such as Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Inter Milan, making Arsenal’s path to a potential final even more challenging.
With Arteta’s side looking to prove their critics wrong, Arsenal will need to produce more big performances if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive.
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