Champions League reaction: What can Arsenal achieve this season after another win?

Which countries are set to win extra Champions League places?

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English sides picked up two wins out of a possible three in the Champions League last night.

But what does it mean for the race for an extra Champions League place.

Which countries are set to win extra Champions League places?

England and Denmark are currently on course to win the two extra Champions League places on offer for next season's competition.

England have risen up the rankings to top spot, climbing from fourth to first after wins for Newcastle and Arsenal, as well as a draw for Manchester City, on Wednesday night.

England's successful night on Wednesday saw them climb up three spots, above Denmark, Portugal and Cyprus, who have not added to their points.

Read our full explainer here

Arsenal’s remarkable home form

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Tom McCoy

BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Olympiacos maintained their formidable recent record at home in the league or group phase of European competitions.

The Gunners have won their past 14 such games at the Emirates in either the Champions League or Europa League, keeping clean sheets in each of the previous 11. Only Liverpool, with 15 straight victories, are currently on a longer winning streak.

Mikel Arteta's side don’t have an unblemished home record in knockout matches during this period, having lost to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals last term. PSV Eindhoven also escaped defeat in North London earlier this year (losing heavily on aggregate), while Sporting won on penalties at the Emirates in the Europa League in 2023.

But Arsenal’s record in the preliminary stage is mightily impressive. They will look to extend that winning run in their next Champions League game, with Atletico Madrid the visitors on 21 October.

Arsenal’s season shows no let-up

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Karan Vinod

BBC Sport Journalist

Arsenal have lost just once this season at Anfield and already claimed maximum points at Old Trafford and St James’ Park. But their next slate of games don't exactly get much easier. These are the next five teams awaiting Mikel Arteta and co:

West Ham (H) - October 4

Fulham (A) - October 18

Atletico Madrid (H) - October 21

Crystal Palace (H) - October 26

Brighton (H) - October 29 (League Cup)

While the home advantage gives this Arsenal side a boost, the intensity of midweek European games and the tactical discipline of teams like Atletico Madrid and Crystal Palace mean the Gunners could be tested physically and mentally.

Arsenal's squad depth

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

The signing of Martin Zubimendi meant Declan Rice was on the bench for Arsenal's victory over Olympiacos.

Rice has been mainstay during the past two seasons, playing over 50 times in both campaigns.

However, the summer signing of Zubimendi has helped ease the workload.

In the attacking positions, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have offered more options to take the pressure off Bukayo Saka.

Here's just a snapshot of some of the depth Arsenal have this season:

Goalkeeper: Raya, Arrizabalaga

Right-back: Timber, White

Centre-back: Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Mosquera, White

Left-back: Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly

Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Merino, Norgaard

Attacking midfield: Odegaard, Eze, Nwaneri, Havertz*

Wingers: Saka, Madueke, Martinelli, Trossard

Strikers: Gyokeres, Jesus*

* = Long-term absentees

That's some depth, isn't it?

'We literally have depth in every single position'

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Carl Jenkinson

Former Arsenal defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

I was quite happy to see Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly get some minutes, they are top, top full-backs.

But obviously they can’t get into the team at the moment because the other two are playing so well and you’re going to need them at the end of the day throughout the season.

I’ve got to say as well, the centre-half that’s come in [Mosquera], who wasn’t a standout signing as such, who we paid a lot of money for, he is brilliant. He didn’t have the best game against Newcastle, but the games before that, he looks a really, really good centre-half; he looks like he’s got everything.

I was chatting about this with my old man, saying we literally have depth in every single position, and I think if you’re going to have a charge at the title, you do need that.

Opta makes Arsenal favourites in Europe

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

According to Opta’s supercomputer, Arsenal are now the favourites to win the Champions League this season with an 18.09% chance of lifting the trophy, just ahead of other European heavyweights like Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Domestically, Mikel Arteta’s side are also right in the Premier League title race. The model gives them a 37.7% chance of finishing top, second only to Liverpool, who lead the projections at 41.85%.

Plenty of football still to play, but the numbers suggest Arsenal are contenders on two fronts.

Is this Arsenal's season?

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Karan Vinod

BBC Sport Journalist

It’s been a case of so near, yet so far for Arsenal in recent years, both domestically and in the Champions League. The Gunners reached the semi-final last season, losing to eventual winners Paris St. Germain 3-1 on aggregate. This was after beating 15-time European champions Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final.

In 2023-24, Arsenal marked their long-awaited return to the Champions League after a seven-year absence, only to fall at the quarter-final stage. Mikel Arteta’s side were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich, bringing their first campaign in the competition since Arsene Wenger’s 2016-17 team to a frustrating end.

Could this be the season where Arsenal finally win the Champions League?

How have Arsenal started the season?

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal have enjoyed another strong start to the season.

In the Premier League they have won four, drawn one and lost one of their six games, leaving them second in the table and just two points behind leaders Liverpool.

They have scored the joint-second most goals (12) and conceded the joint-fewest (three).

In the Champions League, Mikel Arteta's side have beaten both Athletic Club and Olympiacos 2-0, though tougher tests await them.

Oh, and they beat Port Vale 2-0 in the League Cup as well.

'I think they have got great competition'

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Matt Upson

Former England defender on BBC's Football Daily

It's almost like it's a given (Arsenal's defensive prowess), and it isn't. I think it takes a lot of work, and the players are stepping up as we know that they can.

William Saliba signing a new deal, the options they have at full-back positions - Ricardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly battling it out, Ben White and Jurrien Timber, I think they have got great competition.

The two centre-backs are so well drilled, and they are the real cornerstones of the team.

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Arsenal fans - is this the season you finally end your Premier League drought, or even go all the way in the Champions League?

Get in touch and let us know what you think Mikel Arteta's side can achieve this season.

If you can't be optimistic after a comfortable home win in the Champions League, then when can you be??

'It was just about getting the win'

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Carl Jenkinson

Former Arsenal defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

I went with the old man, and it’s fair to say we were very frustrated in the first half with a lot of the chances we didn’t put away, so we made hard work of it, but ultimately it was just about getting the win, which we did.

I think players like Martin Odegaard, when you have players with that much quality who can pick passes like he can - and there aren’t many who can - I think you rightly give them the freedom to essentially do what they want, when they have the ball.

Obviously, he’s still got to be within the structure of the team, but when he’s on the ball, when he can play passes like he can and when he has the vision that he has, just let him do his thing.

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