Steven Gerrard shares his honest thoughts on Arsenal’s chances in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Steven Gerrard says Arsenal will be seen as the ‘underdogs’ when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in next month’s Champions League final.
Mikel Arteta’s team made it to the final after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate, while PSG, the current champions, got through by edging out Bayern Munich 6-5 over two games.
PSG showed why they’re so dangerous, with a thrilling 5-4 win in the first leg and a tough 1-1 draw in Munich. Having won the trophy last year, they’re full of confidence. Meanwhile, Arsenal have only won an FA Cup since Arteta became manager in late 2019.
After PSG secured their spot in the final, Liverpool legend Gerrard said PSG are the clear favorites but added the ‘underdog’ spot could actually help Arsenal.
“Everyone expects PSG to win,” Gerrard said. “Looking at the players they’ve got and how well they played, bookmakers will probably back PSG. Arsenal have had a slightly easier path, but it’s going to be a great final with two different styles. Both teams deserve to be there.
“Arsenal can win, but they’ll need some luck and things to go their way because PSG are strong everywhere. I thought Bayern might take advantage of PSG’s goalkeeper tonight, but he played really well. PSG were excellent across the board. Arsenal will need to be perfect to beat them.”
Arsenal could still win the Premier League before the final, which would boost their confidence a lot.
Gerrard added: “They’ll be underdogs, which might actually help them. Winning the league would give them a big confidence boost. They need to use their strength and size on set pieces and make PSG uncomfortable by forcing them into tough situations.
“Sometimes it helps to have less pressure as the underdog. That might make a difference for Arsenal. But Arteta will need a solid game plan to beat a team this good.”