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Arsenal were all but assured of their spot in the Champions League round of 16 heading into the final matchday of the league phase, but a rotated Gunners outfit got the job done in Girona anyway.
On his first start in the competition, blossoming starlet Ethan Nwaneri stole the show. The 17-year-old claimed UEFA's (and Pain in the Arsenal's!) Man of the Match award after netting what would prove to be the match-winner with a trademark strike from distance.
A third-place finish in the league phase table means Mikel Arteta's side will enjoy more respite in February after a hectic January. We already have a weekend off while the FA Cup fourth round plays out, and their automatic progression into the last 16 means Gooners can have their feet up while 16 teams slog it out in the play-off round in a bid to join us in the next phase.
UEFA's format changes mean Arsenal's knockout bracket has already been disclosed, and there are four potential opponents for the Gunners in the Champions League round of 16.
Arsenal's potential Champions League round of 16 opponents confirmed
❗️Final UEFA Champions League brackets.
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) January 29, 2025
Barça may face PSG, Brest, Benfica, or Monaco in the Round of 16. pic.twitter.com/JMN2EgvTVG
Arsenal defied Opta's fourth-place projection by beating Inter to third, although that has made no difference to the Gunners' potential opponents. Opta's pre-Matchday 8 prediction wasn't totally inaccurate. They got two out of four correct.
We knew that a third or fourth-place finish in the table would pair us up against one of the teams that finished 13th, 14th, 19th or 20th. Don't ask why. That's just how UEFA are doing things.
Arsenal avoided Real Madrid (11th) and Bayern Munich (12th), but could face either Milan, PSV, Juventus or Feyenoord in the round of 16. Italian or Dutch: that's a guarantee.
Seeded Milan or PSV will face unseeded Juventus or Feyenoord in next month's play-offs, with Friday's draw determining the two fixtures. The two victors will then advance as unseeded teams for the round of 16 draw and be paired against either Arsenal or Inter.
UEFA's draw for the last 16 is pencilled in for 21 February, with Arsenal's next Champions League fixtures taking place on w/c 3 and 10 March.
Overall, Arsenal can't be too displeased. Trips to Rotterdam and Eindhoven may be tricky, Thiago Motta's Juventus are defensively stout but bereft of firepower, while Milan have just hired Sergio Conceicao. The Rossoneri are the team I'd be keen to avoid in the round of 16.