‘Dynamics are changing’ – Rio Ferdinand backs 'young, hungry' Arsenal for trophy success after Champions League landmark

Rio Ferdinand believes the “dynamics are changing” at Arsenal and has backed a young and improving Gunners side to win silverware.

Mikel Arteta’s side on Tuesday night to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years.

Arsenal have competed strongly on the domestic front too this season and currently sit top of the Premier League table in their quest for a first league title in 20 years.

TNT Sports expert Ferdinand has seen enough to believe that there are great things ahead for the north London club.

“They haven’t been to the quarter-finals for a while. It’s a young team, they haven’t done this together as a group,” Ferdinand said on TNT Sports’ Champions League coverage.

“When you’re together and you start getting over certain hurdles that you thought – can we, can’t we – and you go past one…you see the celebrations there.

"Some people might criticise and say: ‘you’ve only got into the quarter-finals, you haven’t even won it yet’, but I know that feeling.

“That’s a hurdle got over. Right, I can feel something. I think the dynamics are changing there.

“They’ve got to get their hands on silverware but once they do I think they are going to be a hard team to stop.”

Arsenal suffered a late-season collapse in 2022-23 to end their hopes of claiming a surprise Premier League title, but are firmly in the mix again this term.

Arteta’s men sit top of the table, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference and one point above Manchester City, who they face next in a highly-anticipated clash at the Etihad on March 31.

“I do smell something going on there. They’ve got a really young, hungry looking team,” Ferdinand added.

“They had a big disappointment last year. They had the lead for most of the season and in the final stages were pipped by Manchester City. That has to hurt.

“But you’re thinking - what have you learned? Have you learned now how you’re going to change that narrative.

“It will be enjoyable, but I think it will be more of a relief emotion when they do finally get their hands on silverware because I think they will – what it will be, I don’t know.”

Fellow TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole, a former West Ham and Chelsea player, conceded that the Gunners are in fine fettle.

“Something very special is happening over in north London,” he said.

Cole hopes to see the two English clubs avoid each other when the quarter-final draw is made on Friday.

“I would prefer to keep Manchester City and Arsenal apart, either side of the draw, to maybe give us an opportunity to get two British clubs in the final,” Cole said. “I think they are the two best teams left.”

Cole and Ferdinand both competed in an all-English Champions league final in 2008, when Cole’s Chelsea suffered a penalty shootout defeat in the final in Moscow.

“I had a horrible experience with it, Rio had a good experience,” Cole said.

“It was very stressful to say the least, before, during and after, but for the viewers I think it would be outstanding.”

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