Gary Lineker has named Arsenal as one of the prime contenders for the Champions League title, but he feels the Gunners may be lacking in individual brilliance compared to some of Europe’s elite. The former England striker highlighted Barcelona, who have added Rodri to their ranks this summer, as a significant threat.
Arsenal kicked off this season’s Champions League campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Napoli, courtesy of a solitary goal from Martin Odegaard.
Last season, Mikel Arteta’s side made it all the way to the final, only to lose to PSG in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Lineker expects the reigning Premier League champions to once again mount a serious challenge for the prestigious European trophy.
On the podcast The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker stated:
“Arsenal will be one of the favourites, but I think they don’t have as many superstars as some of the other European giants.”
I believe Barcelona could be really strong this season, and beating them will be tough, especially now that they have Rodri in that crucial position.
Mika Richards also expressed concerns about whether Arsenal's current attacking threat is sufficient to clinch the Champions League. The Gunners made approaches for Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez over the summer, but both transfers failed to materialise.
Richards commented:
I have no doubts about Arsenal in the Premier League, but I’m not so sure about them in the Champions League.
If we look at last season, they were truly considered contenders early on, given how well they defended.
For Arsenal to become a real force in Europe, a player like Julian Alvarez would have been ideal. There were reports that he was keen only on a move to Barcelona, but when you see him play for Argentina, it’s clear that at times Arsenal lacks that pace on counter-attacks.
Comparing European teams, Barcelona and PSG have more speed in attack than Arsenal.
I reckon Arsenal are missing a star striker to elevate them to the next level. With a player like that, the squad would be nearly complete. Julian Alvarez would have been perfect for that role.
