Arsenal secured a vital 3-1 victory over the current Premier League leaders, Liverpool, in their recent title-deciding clash, on Sunday. With this victory adding to their run, they now sit in third place, level on points with the reigning champions, Manchester City, in their pursuit of the league title.
The Gunners managed to find their form just in time for the second half of the season, ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round-16 fixtures. They remain among the favorites to lift the European championship and league title this season. Ian Wright has offered his advice to the Gunners on winning the competition.
Ian Wright wants Arsenal to be ruthless
Mikel Arteta’s promising Arsenal side will face the Portuguese team, FC Porto, in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash over a two-leg affair. The Gunners will visit them later this month before hosting the return leg in March at the Emirates Stadium.
With less than a week remaining before their knockout clash, the North London club is considered a top contender in this edition of the competition. Former Arsenal icon Ian Wright has advised the Gunners to be more clinical with their chances, adopting a ruthless approach to secure their first-ever European title.
While speaking on the ‘Stick To Football‘ podcast, Wright said, “I’d love for Arsenal to win it. If we got to the final against City, I’d feel more confident. You’ve got to be more ruthless with your chances. You’ve got to see games off so that you can relax in games.”
“At the moment, we’re not taking those chances even though in the end we won the game. If we could take those chances, I’d be more confident going to places because we’re defending a lot better,” he added.
Arsenal’s performance in UCL this season
This season, Arsenal made a sensational return to the Champions League after a prolonged six-year absence from the elite competition, following their finish as runners-up in the Premier League. They were drawn in Group B, alongside the Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, RC Lens, and the Spanish giant Sevilla.
Led by their Spanish boss, Mikel Arteta, the Gunners concluded the group stages as the winners, securing five wins out of six games. Despite a narrow defeat on Matchday 2, they bounced back in style, winning all the remaining games and topping their table to cement their spot in the knockout stages.
