Why Arsenal are playing first leg at home despite finishing higher than PSG in Champions League table
Arsenal will once again surrender home advantage in their Champions League semi-final showdown with Paris Saint-Germain. The Gunners finished third in the league phase of the competition, but haven’t had a European first-leg away since the last-16 in March. Arsenal secured a historic win at the Bernabeu to eliminate Real MadridGetty The Gunners’ reward for finishing below Liverpool and Barcelona was a favourable tie against PSV, which they thrashed 9-3 on aggregate. However, since then, Mikel Arteta’s men have been forced to play Champions League first-legs at the Emirates. Historically, in Europe, home sides in the return fixture enjoy an advantage in their bids to progress. Arsenal were indeed knocked out of the Champions League last season following a second-leg away loss to Bayern Munich. The north Londoners proved lessons had been learnt this year, beating reigning holders Real Madrid across both games this month. Their reward is a semi-final meeting with PSG, who only qualified for the knockout stages via the playoffs after finishing 15th in the table. In a bizarre twist of events, the Ligue 1 side will play the first-leg of the semi-finals in London this week ahead of returning to France. Why are Arsenal playing away second? Unfortunately for Arteta, his side have been a victim of an unusual addition to UEFA’s revamp of the Champions League. Arsenal’s prize for securing a top-eight finish in the league phase was guaranteed entry to the last-16, as well as the benefit of playing the second-leg at the Emirates. That privilege didn’t extend into the latter stages of the knockouts, with UEFA already drawing the bracket to the 2024/25 final. Arsenal know how important a first-leg lead will be against PSGGetty A randomised draw that took place when the Gunners’ last-16 opponents were decided that they would play both the quarter-final and semi-final at home first. talkSPORT’s Martin Keown, who was at the draw with the Arsenal delegation, has already raised his concerns with the format. “When this draw was done, they sort of… I did argue with the guy who put the rules together,” said Keown. “There needs to be some benefit of getting out of the blocks early and finishing in the top eight or your league position. “I like the fact that you play second. The last 16, the teams that didn’t play in the 32, they played the home game last. There’s a lot in that. “Atletico Madrid have got that against Real Madrid. That could be quite telling. I don’t think the competition organisers realise the full impact that has. Liverpool beat PSG in France but then suffered a surprise defeat in the return leg at AnfieldGetty “In fact, they did say to me that Dortmund would probably want to play their [home] leg first. Well, that’s okay then. “But I think that the league position, one of the mistakes I’d like to offer up is they should have allowed that where you finished in the league gives you the right to play the last game at home throughout the tournament. “To just draw that out of a hat in the last draw and give that away, it was a very cheap thing to do, really. “It takes it away from what is a Champions League competition, after all, and we should be reverting back to the league right the way through the competition.”
Arsenal will once again surrender home advantage in their Champions League semi-final showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners finished third in the league phase of the competition, but haven’t had a European first-leg away since the last-16 in March.
The Gunners’ reward for finishing below Liverpool and Barcelona was a favourable tie against PSV, which they thrashed 9-3 on aggregate.
However, since then, Mikel Arteta’s men have been forced to play Champions League first-legs at the Emirates.
Historically, in Europe, home sides in the return fixture enjoy an advantage in their bids to progress.
Arsenal were indeed knocked out of the Champions League last season following a second-leg away loss to Bayern Munich.
The north Londoners proved lessons had been learnt this year, beating reigning holders Real Madrid across both games this month.
Their reward is a semi-final meeting with PSG, who only qualified for the knockout stages via the playoffs after finishing 15th in the table.
In a bizarre twist of events, the Ligue 1 side will play the first-leg of the semi-finals in London this week ahead of returning to France.
Why are Arsenal playing away second?
Unfortunately for Arteta, his side have been a victim of an unusual addition to UEFA’s revamp of the Champions League.
Arsenal’s prize for securing a top-eight finish in the league phase was guaranteed entry to the last-16, as well as the benefit of playing the second-leg at the Emirates.
That privilege didn’t extend into the latter stages of the knockouts, with UEFA already drawing the bracket to the 2024/25 final.
A randomised draw that took place when the Gunners’ last-16 opponents were decided that they would play both the quarter-final and semi-final at home first.
talkSPORT’s Martin Keown, who was at the draw with the Arsenal delegation, has already raised his concerns with the format.
“When this draw was done, they sort of… I did argue with the guy who put the rules together,” said Keown.
“There needs to be some benefit of getting out of the blocks early and finishing in the top eight or your league position.
“I like the fact that you play second. The last 16, the teams that didn’t play in the 32, they played the home game last. There’s a lot in that.
“Atletico Madrid have got that against Real Madrid. That could be quite telling. I don’t think the competition organisers realise the full impact that has.
“In fact, they did say to me that Dortmund would probably want to play their [home] leg first. Well, that’s okay then.
“But I think that the league position, one of the mistakes I’d like to offer up is they should have allowed that where you finished in the league gives you the right to play the last game at home throughout the tournament.
“To just draw that out of a hat in the last draw and give that away, it was a very cheap thing to do, really.
“It takes it away from what is a Champions League competition, after all, and we should be reverting back to the league right the way through the competition.”
