Up until last weekend, Arsenal had the potential to do something nobody ever thought possible (not these days at least) and that is win the quad. Despite a few wobbles over the last few weeks, a few pretty impressive performances had their fans believing again.
Unfortunately, if you’re an Arsenal fan, it’s the hope that destroys you. They went into the Carabao Cup final against title rivals Manchester City, and unfortunately, well, things didn’t go their way, let’s just say that. Ultimately the game ended 2 – 0 in Man City’s favour, and Pep Guardiola became a five-time Carabao Cup winner in the process.
So, that’s the quad off the table, but there’s still a very real chance of the Gunners doing the treble. In fact, former Gunner Paul Merson recent stated that he still expects Arsenal to win the league, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. It’s been a long time since Arsenal won multiple titles in a season, so to do so in the post-Wenger era would be unprecedented.
Regardless, the bookies still clearly believe in the Gunners as Arsenal are still favs to win in Europe. Here’s a look at the odds, and at which teams may stand in their way.
Bookies Still Favour Arsenal
Yes, we’ve all heard the jokes about Arsenal “bottling it” season after season, but this year somehow, something feels different. Even Paddy Power haven’t given Arsenal as much stick as they usually do when they drop points, and there’s a good reason for that. Arsenal are still favourites to win the Champions League.
Looking at the odds from Irish football bookmakers BOYLE Sports and Ladbrokes, the currently have the Gunners at 9/4 odds to win the Champions League trophy. Considering the calibre of talent that remains in the tournament, you can’t help but be impressed.
Arsenal are already strong contenders, but considering they’re facing outsiders Sporting Lisbon in the last eight, they surely have the best chance of all to reach the semi-finals. Just for context, Sporting are currently 66/1 outsiders with Ladbrokes, and 50/1 with BOYLE Sports.
Should Arteta’s men beat Sporting, they’ll face stiff competition from Spain, in the form of Athletico Madrid or Barcelona.
On paper, Arsenal have the easiest route to the semis, but we all know in football, nothing is ever straightforward, especially with Arsenal. Arsenal will be reeling after that emphatic thumping at the hands of Man City, and should they reach the semis, there’s the concern that they won’t be fully tested. No disrespect to Sporting, but that name doesn’t hold the same weight as Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, or Bayern.
The Harry Kane Factor
Since joining Bayern Munich, Harry Kane has been scoring for fun. While that’s good news for England and Bayern fans, it’s no so great for Bayern’s opponents.
Bayern will meet Real Madrid next, in an encounter that pits England’s present against England’s future when Harry Kane goes up against Jude Bellingham in an encounter that promises to excite. Bayern have looked extremely impressive across multiple tournaments, which is why bookies currently have them as second-favourites to win the title.
If Kane and company are firing on cylinders, BOYLE Sports have Bayern at 10/3, while Ladbrokes are offering odds of 3/1.
Barcelona Riding the Momentum
For those looking for slightly better odds, Barcelona are currently third favourites to win the trophy, with both BOYLE Sports and Ladbrokes providing the Spaniards with 9/2 odds to snatch the win.
Like Arsenal, Barca are currently sitting fairly comfortably at the top of their league table, with a 4-point lead over Real Madrid.
It is their absolute domination of Newcastle United however, that has helped boost them up the rankings and solidified their status as strong contenders for the trophy. Following that 7-1 demolition job of the Magpies, they’ve showed their quality against English sides.
With Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski all demonstrating the ability to find the net, Hansi Flick’s men could very well throw a spanner in the works and derail Arsenal’s hopes of doing the treble.
PSG Looking Threatening
We all know what a good cash injection can do for a club, just look at Chelsea back in the day, Man City, and even Newcastle United (we won’t mention the Barcelona result again). Perhaps no team has managed to turn things around so quickly following investment, than last year’s winners, Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG managed to breeze through the round of 16 in the Champions League, beating Chelsea in both legs, and scoring 8 goals in the process. When you consider the form that Arne Slot’s Liverpool are in this season, the smart money is clearly on PSG. This is emphasised in the odds.
Both Ladbrokes and BOYLE Sports are offering 11/2 odds for PSG to win the tournament. Despite sitting top of Ligue 1, Lens are snapping at their heels and are only 1 point behind (though PSG have a game in hand). This type of pressure could surely carry over into other tournaments, which is why PSG aren’t favourites through and through.
Real Goalscorers Finding Form
Of course, when you talk about the Champions League, you can’t discount Real Madrid. With Real up against Bayern, they’ll have a huge task on their hands. With both Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham starting to find form again, Los Blancos are looking threatening.
Real are currently at 8/1 with BOYLE Sports, and 15/2 with Ladbrokes.