Arsenal are in with a shout of winning the Champions League this season, but their European exploits could give Manchester City a leg up in the Premier League title race.
That is the opinion of ex-Gunner Matthew Upson, who is concerned that City’s earlier elimination from the competition will allow them to dial in on domestic competition.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit top of the Premier League with four matches left to play, three points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s City, who have a game in hand.
Upson, who won the Premier League with Arsenal in 2001/02, is confident the Gunners can ‘squeak’ through that fixture and reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2006, but worries their title bid could be compromised if they do so.
He told Ladbrokes: “Arsenal are still looking strong in Europe, and I think they’ve got a decent tie in the semis against Atletico Madrid.
“It’s going to be cagey between those two sides, that’s for sure. I can see both games being relatively stale, to be honest.
“But Arsenal have got a great chance of making the final, over the course of two legs. I can see them squeaking into a final… I really can. And then it’s a one-off game.
“Are they going to be favourites against PSG or Bayern? Probably not, in terms of how well those two teams are playing and where they’re at psychologically. But it’s a final, and anything can happen.”
He continued, adding that City’s elimination from the Champions League last-16 by Real Madrid frees Guardiola up to focus on the Premier League title race.
“Do those fixtures create a bigger problem in their Premier League push? Yeah, it’s quite the double-edged sword, isn’t it?
“Man City can pretty much focus all of their attention on the Premier League now, and that’s a great position to be in.”
