Pundit Troy Deeney does not think Arsenal will make it to the Champions League final, predicting that the Gunners will get knocked out in the semi-final.
Arsenal are Opta’s favourites to win the Champions League, which is somewhat unsurprising given how strong Mikel Arteta’s side looked in the league phase.
With that said, the league phase is a thing of the past, and the knockouts are now here, but still, things are reading as very encouraging for Arsenal in the Champions League.
Arsenal’s route to the Champions League final is tough, but not as much as others have it, which is why so many fans are quietly confident.
Gooners might have faith, but Troy Deeney doesn’t, as he made clear when predicting the route to the final.
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Troy Deeney thinks Barcelona will knock Arsenal out of the Champions League
In a TikTok for CBS Sports, Deeney was asked to predict the outcome of every knockout fixture.
Bayer Leverkusen wanted to draw Arsenal, and their hopes came true, as the Gunners will face Leverkusen in the round of 16, a match Deeney thinks Arteta’s side will win ‘comfortably’.
If Arsenal do reach the quarter-finals, Deeney believes they will face Bodo/Glimt rather than Sporting CP, and again, thinks Arsenal will win.
“Unfortunately, Arsenal are going through. The Cinderella dream is over,” he said of Bodo/Glimt’s fairytale.
Then came the semi-final, which is where things got ‘controversial’ for Deeney.
Predicting a Barcelona vs Arsenal Champions League semi-final, the former Premier League striker said:
“Controversial, I know, but Barcelona to get through.”
To round it off, he predicted that Manchester City would win the Champions League, beating Barcelona in the final.
Arsenal’s advantage in the knockouts cannot be forgotten
It’s unclear whether Deeney might have forgotten about the advantage Arsenal earned for themselves by finishing first in the league-phase table.
Troy Deeney thinks Barcelona will knock Arsenal out of the Champions League, but which team do YOU fear most?
As a result, the Gunners will play at home in every single second leg of the knockout phases, which is a clear advantage.
Having a home advantage in the decisive second legs is huge, particularly as away legs have stung Arsenal in the past.
Whether it’s enough to see the North Londoners go all the way remains to be seen, but it must be said that this squad is built for knockout football, even more so with home advantages in mind.
Anything can happen in football, as it’s not even guaranteed that Arsenal will progress from the round of 16, stressing the importance of taking things match by match.
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