Arsenal have discovered their potential route to the Champions League final.
The draw was made on Friday morning, with the Gunners set to face PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition.
If the North Londoners overcome the Eredivisie outfit, then they’ll take on the winners of Real Madrid’s tie with Atletico Madrid in the last eight.
Work their way past this, and Mikel Arteta’s team will most likely face Liverpool, setting up a daunting spell in their congested fixture list late in the season.
Arsenal could play Liverpool twice in four days in May
There’s a long way to go to reach the final, but Arsenal have their sights set on winning the Champions League, and will likely have to get past their Premier League title rivals to do so.
Liverpool take on PSG in the next round, a tie that sees the winners rewarded with a kind quarter-final match up against Aston Villa or Club Brugge.
An all English semi-final is on the cards, in what would be a two-legged box office event.
However, if this does materialise, Arsenal would potentially travel to Anfield twice in the space of four days.
The Gunners’ league showdown with the Merseysiders is currently scheduled to take place on 10th May, in the 36th Premier League matchweek.
If the two are pitched against each other in the Champions League semi-final, they’ll play each other at Anfield on either the 6th or 7th May.
An unprecedented quirk in the fixture schedule, Arsenal certainly won’t be looking forward to such a daunting set of circumstances.
Anfield double header would be a disaster for Mikel Arteta
Arteta famously played ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on loudspeakers to his squad in training to prepare them for the ferocious Anfield atmosphere.
With the Premier League and Champions League on the line, this hostile ambience within the historic old ground will only be heightened, and Arsenal may struggle to cope with it.
On top of this, the Gunners have a poor record away at Liverpool, not winning in each of their last 14 trips to the stadium.
| Arsenal’s record at Anfield | |
| Matches | 37 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Draws | 13 |
| Losses | 17 |
| Win percentage | 18.9% |
Claiming just seven victories in 37 matches at Anfield, this 18.9% win rate won’t fill Arteta with confidence.
It’s possible that a draw could do in both of the games, although that’s less likely in the Premier League as they chase their north-west counterparts.
Arsenal do have more winnable fixtures remaining in the league than Liverpool, and thus they may be well rested and in better shape than their rivals come this potential double header.
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