Feb 18, 2024, 9:43 PM ET
Arsenal returned to the forefront of European football after an absence that was too long for a club that until the 2017/18 season had always played in the UEFA Champions League this century. Now, After six years away from the great celebration of continental football, he returned and wants to do it as what he is: a great one.
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They passed the group stage without shining but with total authority. They won four of six games and finished first in their area ahead of PSV Eindhoven, Lens and Sevilla. They only lost against the French team as a visitor. His best performance was in his debut, when he beat the Dutch 4-0 and made it clear that he had returned to the Champions League to fight.
The round of 16 draw was benevolent: Porto is a rival whose demand is lower than that of other possible adversaries. Arsenal will have to take care of themselves, but they arrive as favorites due to collective performance, individual responses and presence.
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The team that competed until the end for the Premier League title with Manchester City last season It maintained its base and added a couple of pieces that enhanced it. The most notable is, without a doubt, Declan Rice. The central midfielder is the football leader, who best understands the idea of coach Mikel Arteta and who sets the times. Along with Rodri, they are the two most prominent in the position in the Premier. In fact, Rice is second in the statistical categories “progressive passes” and “passes in the final third”, two key sections for a central midfielder.
The arrival of Kai Havertz It was also important to give more variants to the attack, with a player who can play as a center forward and also accompany Bukayo Saka, the different player of this Arsenal. The English winger is the man who can solve any match with his skill and inventiveness. The footballer that every team with aspirations needs.
Another of Arsenal’s fundamental men to fight for the European title is Martin Ødegaard. The Norwegian had already shone last season and in the current one he maintained his level, which is already a great merit. If Rice is the driver of the midfield, Ødegaard is the driver of the attack. Like the former West Ham player, he leads in the key statistical areas for his position: key passes, assists, generation of scoring chances. He is everyone’s partner in attack.
In defense, Arsenal also gives guarantees. Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba form a solid and consolidated duo. The team seeks to attack as the first option, so the concentration and speed of the center backs is mandatory. They form a defense with the necessary conditions to go far in this Champions League.
Arteta’s idea is clear: possession, prominence and offensive play. It does not change with respect to the rival on duty. It is the team with the highest number of offensive passes in the Premier, even above Man City. He is also the one who finishes the most. Arsenal welcomes the spectacle because they see that it is their clearest way to victory.
In addition to its very visible attributes, the London team arrives at the defining moment of the season in good shape, something that usually marks the destiny of teams in the Champions League. They have won their last five games in the Premier League, including a great 3-1 victory over Liverpool.
Does Arsenal have arguments to dream of winning the Champions League for the first time in its history? Clear. Few teams have such a visible and consolidated style and if they manage to sustain their good moment, a tournament of these characteristics could help them in their search.
2024-02-19 02:50:28
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