The two teams that can still hand Arsenal Champions League blow after Juventus court ruling
The transformation in the span of a few weeks is remarkable. Recently, Arsenal seemed destined to face consequences for their failure to secure the Premier League championship.
However, due to recent developments in Serie A, as well as the intense competition for the top four spots in the English league and a dramatic shift in the race for the Bundesliga title, the Gunners’ prospect of rejoining the Champions League has become significantly more enticing compared to before.
It is widely known that Arsenal has faced difficulties in European competitions over the past few years. Their elimination from the Europa League during the round of 16 by Sporting CP this season has resulted in their current position as the 23rd ranked team in the UEFA coefficient table, indicating their struggles and lack of success in continental tournaments.
Arsenal’s current ranking below 22 prominent teams like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona, AS Roma, Internazionale, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, Benfica, Villarreal, Napoli, Porto, Tottenham Hotspur, and Eintracht Frankfurt highlights their lower standing in the UEFA coefficient table.
However, the positive news for Arsenal is that not all of the aforementioned 22 teams have qualified for the next season’s Champions League. This situation increases Arsenal’s chances of being placed in Pot 2 during the draw, which would allow them to avoid a difficult group stage matchup, potentially alleviating concerns about a challenging group.
As the current situation stands, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Eintracht Frankfurt will not be participating in the Champions League next season since securing a top-four finish in their respective leagues is no longer within their reach. On the other hand, Manchester United only needs a point from their remaining two matches to ensure that Liverpool’s highest possible finish is fifth place.
In addition, Juventus received significant news on Monday as the Italian football federation’s appeals court announced a new ruling. Juventus has been penalized with a deduction of 10 points due to an investigation into the club’s transfer dealings, which revealed evidence of false accounting. Consequently, Juventus has dropped from their second-place position to seventh place in Serie A.
Following their 4-1 loss to Empoli, Max Allegri’s Juventus face slim chances of qualifying for the Champions League, as they are currently five points behind a top-four position with only two games left in the season. In this scenario, Olivier Giroud, who now plays for AC Milan, can assist his former club Arsenal by helping Milan avoid defeat against Juventus in their upcoming match.
It is important to note that Juventus intends to appeal the ruling. However, if the decision stands and the top-four standings in Serie A remain unchanged, Arsenal will move closer to the possibility of a more favorable draw in the Champions League. This is because they could be placed in Pot 2 instead of Pot 3, which is determined by club coefficient rankings.
Indeed, for Arsenal to have a chance of being placed in Pot 2 for the Champions League draw, several conditions must be met. Apart from the Serie A standings remaining unchanged, both Ajax and Villarreal must also fail to qualify for the tournament.
Currently, both clubs are ranked higher than Arsenal in the coefficient table and would be placed in Pot 2 ahead of Mikel Arteta’s team.
However, the situation looks favorable for Arsenal. Villarreal is currently five points away from a top-four position in La Liga with three games remaining, and Ajax needs to outperform PSV Eindhoven on the final day of the Eredivisie season.
Considering these factors, Arsenal can feel confident about their chances of being placed in Pot 2, which would enable them to avoid formidable opponents like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich (if Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga title) during the group stage draw in August.
The two teams that can still hand Arsenal Champions League blow after Juventus court ruling
