Troy Deeney, a seasoned Premier League veteran, has been closely observing Arsenal’s recent Champions League triumph, and his assessment is both complimentary and cautiously skeptical. He acknowledges a significant shift in the Gunners’ mentality, a newfound resilience that allows them to consistently secure victories.
Arsenal navigated a challenging round-of-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen, ultimately prevailing 3-1 on aggregate. While a late penalty secured a narrow advantage in the first leg, a decisive 2-0 victory at the Emirates, fueled by goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice, sealed their passage to the quarter-finals.
Deeney believes Arsenal are successfully “answering every question” posed to them, demonstrating growth both domestically and in European competition. However, he harbors doubts about their ability to ultimately lift the Champions League trophy, a feat that has eluded the club for decades.
He surprisingly suggests Leverkusen were the superior team for much of the tie, highlighting their fluid attacking play. Deeney predicts that Arsenal will face formidable opposition in the later stages, specifically naming Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich as teams capable of eliminating Arteta’s side.
PSG recently delivered a dominant performance against Chelsea, winning 8-2 on aggregate, while Bayern Munich currently hold a commanding lead in their own tie against Atalanta. These results underscore the immense challenge that awaits Arsenal should they progress further.
Deeney points to a subtle but crucial change within the Arsenal squad. He notes a “horrible, steely nastiness” – a determined grit – that allows them to consistently “grind teams down” and secure results, something that was previously lacking during the latter years of Arsène Wenger’s reign.
Despite this newfound resilience, Deeney remains unconvinced they possess the necessary firepower to overcome the European elite. He admits a peculiar feeling when watching Arsenal – they consistently win, but don’t necessarily inspire confidence as future champions.
Their upcoming opponents, Sporting, present a different challenge than Leverkusen. Deeney anticipates a more direct approach from the Portuguese side, relying on crosses into the box, a tactic that ironically plays to Arsenal’s strengths with their strong central defenders.
Ultimately, Deeney’s analysis suggests Arsenal are a team on the rise, capable of competing at the highest level, but perhaps still lacking the intangible qualities needed to conquer the Champions League. He sees a team that consistently gets the job done, but doesn’t yet radiate the aura of inevitable victory.
He acknowledges the Gunners’ impressive form and ability to overcome obstacles, but believes that facing the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich over two legs would prove too difficult a hurdle to clear, despite their group stage victory over the German giants.
