In the aftermath of Arsenal’s victory over Porto in the Champions League round of 16-second leg clash at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, has believed most top teams remaining in the competition will be hoping to avoid Arsenal in the quarter-finals stages.
Reflecting on Arsenal’s impressive performance against Porto, where the Gunners won 4-2 on penalties, Ferdinand insists Mikel Arteta’s squad can match the remaining teams in the Champions League
“I think they are genuinely a hard, hard opposition for anybody left in the competition, I don’t care who it is,” Ferdinand told TNT Sport.
“Manchester City, over two legs, it is a difficult game for them because Arsenal are a team that can match most teams left in this competition.
“Whether they beat them, I think they can go close to anyone at the moment.”
Former Arsenal star Paul Merson also agreed with Ferdinant, the Gunners present the most formidable challenge to reigning champions Manchester City under their manager Pep Guardiola in this season’s competition.
Merson emphasized Arsenal’s potential to disrupt Manchester City’s title defence.
Despite City’s status as the reigning champions, the 55-year-old believes that Arsenal’s strength over two legs makes them the biggest threat to City’s dominance in the tournament.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Merson expressed his confidence in Arsenal’s ability to make a significant impact in the Champions League, provided they can avoid facing Manchester City.
He acknowledged Arsenal’s past struggles in European competitions but hailed their progress and evolution as a top-tier team.
“Over two legs, they [Arsenal] are Manchester City’s biggest threat, in my opinion,” Merson said.
“I think Arsenal can go a long way if they can stay away from Manchester City.
“It’s got the elephant out of the room. They’ve been going out of these competitions too often, many years ago at this stage, and they’ve gone through tonight.
“Arsenal are moving forward, they are a very good team.”
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