Arsenal’s hopes of a kinder Champions League draw next season have been boosted after Juventus were hit by a 10-point deduction.
The Italian Football Federation’s appeals court ruled on Monday after an investigation into Juve’s transfer dealings.
Juventus have been docked 10 points and, as a result, they have dropped from second to seventh place in the Serie A table with only two games to play this season, having also been thrashed 4-1 by Empoli.
It means they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next term, and that is a major boost to Arsenal.
The Gunners are back in the competition next year for the first time since the 2016-17 season and were due to be in pot three for the group-stage draw.
Juventus likely missing out, however, means Arsenal are currently due to be in pot two and will avoid playing the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the group stage.
The Gunners have a weak coefficient ranking after years of playing in the Europa League and they could still slip into pot three if results do not go their way.
Villarreal have a higher coefficient than Arsenal and, should they finish in LaLiga’s top four this season, they would be in pot two instead.
They currently sit fifth and five points adrift of fourth place with three games to go in the Spanish top-flight campaign.
