Are Arsenal just delaying the inevitable in Champions League?
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Updated 07/12/2016 at 15:11 GMT
Arsenal fans went to bed on Tuesday night dreaming of a change in Champions League fortunes after topping Group A – but are the Gunners still heading for disappointment?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger before the match
Image credit: Reuters
WHAT HAPPENED
Ludogorets can expect a Christmas hamper from north London after they helped Arsenal snatch top spot from Paris Saint-Germain in Champions League Group A.
The Bulgarian minnows secured a precious 2-2 draw in the French capital – a point that not only steered them into the Europa League, but also ensured Arsenal’s 4-1 win in Basel was enough for them to be seeded in the last 16.
After a stream of second-place finishes, tough knockout draws and damaging defeats, Arsenal finally have the chance to rectify their European woes.
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Arsenal's Lucas Perez celebrates scoring their third goal with Granit Xhaka
Image credit: Reuters
‘LESS GUILT’ FOR WENGER
"We can still have a difficult draw," said Wenger. "But there's less guilt when you finish first in the group because you feel you have done your job and you play the second leg of the first knockout tie at home.
"It is what we wanted but, at the moment, the difficulty of the draw will not be much different."
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Arsene Wenger: We were lucky with PSG result
WHO COULD ARSENAL FACE?
Ahead of Wednesday’s concluding group games, their potential last 16 opponents are as follows:
Dream scenario: Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Porto/Copenhagen.
Oh dear: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid, Sevilla/Lyon.
Assuming Sevilla don't fancy a crack at a fourth successive Europa League title and lose to Lyon, it's a 50-50 shot between a favourable draw and a European heavyweight.
The only difference to previous years is that the second leg will be at home – but that could be enough.
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Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny in action with FC Basel's Geoffroy Serey Die
Image credit: Reuters
ARSENAL'S LAST 16 WOE
- 2010-11: Group runners-up (behind Shakhtar), lost 4-3 to Barcelona on aggregate
- 2011-12: Group winners, lost 4-3 to AC Milan on aggregate
- 2012-13: Group runners-up (behind Schalke), lost on away goals to Bayern Munich
- 2013-14: Group runners-up (behind Dortmund), lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich on aggregate
- 2014-15: Group runners-up (behind Dortmund), lost on away goals to Monaco
- 2015-16: Group runners-up (behind Bayern), lost 5-1 to Barcelona on aggregate
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Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with Andres Iniesta as Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny looks dejected
Image credit: Reuters
SO WHAT? EVEN IF THEY PROGRESS, SURELY THEY’LL JUST LOSE IN THE QUARTERS?
Perhaps, but this is the perfect platform to end (or at least pause) their last 16 curse.
Wenger might seem to have a permanent job at the Emirates, but – after losing out to Leicester City in the Premier League last season – this was the season he had to finally prove his side have evolved. The signs are promising. Alexis Sanchez is thriving as the main striker, Olivier Giroud is still chipping in with unerring accuracy from the bench and they have a solid defensive partnership in Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi.
And even if Arsenal do go out in the quarter-finals, it will at least go some way to shaking off their bottler tags. There’s no shame in reaching the last eight of the Champions League – plus, if investment is forthcoming, it could tempt the transfer market’s hottest prospects that the Emirates is a worthwhile destination.
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