Arsene Wenger Names Arsenal’s Two Biggest Threats in This Season’s Champions League

Arsene Wenger believes only two non-English clubs can prevent Arsenal from winning the Champions League this season.

Mikel Arteta’s in-form team improved to four wins from four in Europe with a 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague on Tuesday night, and they have yet to surrender a goal in the competition.

It’s no wonder that pundits and fans alike believe they’ll go the distance and eventually win the cherished trophy.

Fresh from upgrading their squad during the summer, they have jumped out of the gate in the Premier League, sitting top of the table and six points ahead of closest rivals Manchester City. They appear to be set to compete for silverware on numerous fronts.

Wenger came agonisingly close to breaking the club’s Champions League drought in 2006, when his side lost to Barcelona in the final, but he believes the Gunners can go one better this season.

Wenger sees Bayern Munich and PSG as Champions League contenders.

Wenger told beIN Sports that he expects other heavyweights Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain to be in the running for the title.

“Aside from England, I believe they are the two clubs with the best chances of winning the Champions League this season.

“One of the other teams may, of course, be Real Madrid, but also Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. Nobody in their league questions if they’ll win the championship.

Explaining his decision further, the renowned Frenchman stated: “Paris Saint-Germain will win the title in France, and Bayern have virtually won the championship in Germany, so their season will, of course, be in Europe.

“They will have to compete against five Premier League teams. That will be extremely intriguing. Paris Saint-Germain are now not at their best, Real Madrid and Liverpool are fighting to be their best, while Bayern are in full force.”

Bayern Munich, led by Vincent Kompany, are now level on points with Arsenal at the top of the league phase after winning all four of their initial games, including a 2-1 triumph over PSG at the Parc des Princes.

Despite the fact that their two-goal hero, Luis Diaz, was sent off in the first half for a harsh challenge, the Bundesliga side held on for the three points. PSG are, of course, the incumbent champions, having defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in May.

They were third in the table heading into Wednesday’s round of fixtures and might well live up to Wenger’s lofty expectations, despite their defeat at the hands of Bayern.

Arteta Delighted with Arsenal Victory

Speaking after the game, Arteta praised his Arsenal players for the manner in which they won in Prague, as well as their ability to hold their own against the aggressive hosts.

“I’m overjoyed with the win—four in a row without allowing a goal. A really difficult place to come, I warned the lads, the game that we had to expect, a team that is super intense, very direct, man-to-man, so very short periods of play, a lot of fouls, a lot of restarts, very difficult to get any flow in the match.”

Arsenal’s next Premier League game is a test away to Sunderland, followed by a north London derby against Tottenham after the international break.

They will next restart their Champions League campaign with a home game versus Bayern, which could determine who finishes first in the standings heading into the knockout stages.