Arsenal’s form continued in the Champions League on Tuesday night as Mikel Arteta extended their lead in Europe’s top competition with a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan at San Siro.
Arsenal dominate Inter Milan (Image: Getty Images)
As a result of securing first or second place in the standings, Arsenal will head into the Champions League final tournament with a huge advantage. The Gunners have been in excellent form in Europe this season, winning all seven games in all competitions so far.
And Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory over Inter Milan ensured Mikel Arteta’s side finished second in the league. At the time of writing, Arsenal are at the top of the table with 21 points, six points behind Bayern Munich.
Given that the Bundesliga giants have a game against the Gunners coming up, there is a possibility that they could overtake them, but the permutations needed to make that happen are complex. Not only do Bayern need to win against Union Saint Giroise on Wednesday and their final league game against PSV within a week and one day, but Arsenal also need to lose against Kairat on the same evening.
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They also need to close a seven-point goal difference to have any chance of competing with England’s title favorites. Real Madrid, who are in second place, are also out of the question considering they have played seven games and have 15 points.
League positions are particularly important in the current Champions League, given the benefits that come from finishing in the top two. The new rules mean the higher a team finishes, the easier their route to the finals will be in terms of home advantage.
For example, teams finishing in the top four will be awarded the last 16 and a second leg at home in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the top two teams in the standings will also be given home advantage for the second leg of the semi-finals.
Playing the second leg of each of the aforementioned matches at home would be a huge boost for either side of the coin. If Arsenal gain the advantage away from home in order to turn things around, they will be able to use their strong home support to hold on or even expand.
Arsenal top the Champions League (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Elsewhere, if a comeback is needed in the second leg, they will be in a better position to accomplish it on home soil rather than threatening to do so on enemy territory. It comes after Arsenal were unable to play against the San Siro on Tuesday night as Arteta continues to work his magic both at home and away.
Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring for the Gunners in the 10th minute against Inter Milan, and Petar Susic equalized eight minutes later. Jesus scored twice in the 31st minute, giving Arsenal the advantage at half-time.
After a tense second half, Victor Gokeres sealed the deal for Arsenal with six minutes left in regular time, ensuring the team’s unbeaten record in Europe remained intact.
Arsenal’s next game is back in the Premier League, against Manchester United in the capital on Sunday 25th January. They will then host Kairat in their final league stage Champions League match on Wednesday, January 28th.
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