Arsenal are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages, and former Gunner Theo Walcott has now claimed that Mikel Arteta will be faced with a tough decision.
Arsenal can qualify as group winners with a victory over RC Lens, and will reach the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since 2017, with Walcott himself scoring Arsenal’s last knockout goal in a heavy defeat to Bayern Munich.
With Arsenal top of the Premier League, and aiming to challenge on two fronts, Arteta may be confronted with a difficult decision over which competition to prioritise, if Arsenal end up progressing beyond the round of 16.
Walcott highlights difficult Arteta decision
Speaking to Arsenal club media, Walcott claimed that he could see this current side going far in the competition, and a decision may have to be made later in the season over rotation.
“I think it’s really interesting, because Arsenal haven’t been in the Champions League for a few years, but I do feel a lot of teams will fear playing this team,” he stated.
“I think at some point this season Mikel might have to make a decision about what he wants to prioritise, because I can see Arsenal being right in contention until the end of the season, and it might be a case of deciding which one he wants to go for.
“It’s going to be interesting, but there’s no doubt the club are moving the right way under Mikel, and it’s looking really exciting.”
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal priorities
It is unclear which competition Arteta would prioritise if it came to choosing between the two, but given Arsenal’s injury problems, January reinforcements may be necessary to compete on both fronts.
Should Arsenal go deep into the Champions League whilst still top of the league, then it may simply come down to trusting the reserve players to step in at times in both competitions.
If Arsenal do find themselves behind Manchester City, but with a strong chance of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, then gunning for European glory becomes an obvious priority.
Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, and have reached just one Champions League final, as they were beaten by Barcelona in 2006.
Competing well on both fronts should be the aim for this season, but there is no guarantee of success in either competition, despite Arsenal’s impressive form over the last year.
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