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ALAN SHEARER PREDICTS ARSENAL VS PSG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL SHOWDOWN

Alan Shearer tips PSG to stop Arsenal’s Champions League hunt despite a 3-1 masterclass against Inter Milan.

Alan Shearer predicts Arsenal vs PSG Champions League final showdown
Alan Shearer backs Arsenal for Premier League glory despite Champions League snub

Alan Shearer thinks Paris Saint-Germain will be the team to stop Arsenal from lifting their first Champions League trophy, even after the Gunners' impressive win over Inter Milan.

Petar Sucic equalised after Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring, but another goal from Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres’ third of the tournament sealed the win for Arsenal. Now, Arsenal sit at the top of their group, perfect so far with seven wins from seven.

Still, Shearer believes Arsenal will struggle when they meet PSG later in the competition. Chatting on Amazon Prime before Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Inter, Shearer said, “You can’t deny Arsenal have a real shot this year. But honestly, after what PSG did last season and looking at the players they’ve got, I’m leaning towards them. Arsenal will be close, though.”

Asked who he thinks PSG would beat in the final, Shearer replied, “Probably Arsenal. I don’t think it’ll be a 5-0 again if they meet in the final. Arsenal have real confidence now, and you can see it in their squad depth. Even when they rotate, they’re still strong—a team that can go anywhere and win, like they did tonight at Inter. That’ll help them in the big moments, so for me, PSG and Arsenal are the two favourites.”

Shearer also pointed out that getting Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus fit again will be huge for Arsenal as they chase their first Premier League title since 2004. “I think they’ll win the Premier League with their seven-point lead. It was a great weekend for them, with City and Villa both dropping points,” he said. “Their squad is so deep. They can make changes and don’t seem to miss a beat. Now they’re getting key players like Jesus and Havertz back from injury. Defensively, that’s their biggest strength for me—they just don’t give much away at the back. I think they’ll go on and do it.”

Even with Arsenal pulling ahead of Manchester City in the league, Shearer still expects City to push them all the way. “City will keep the pressure on Arsenal, no doubt,” he said. “Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi are great signings. You’ve already seen Semenyo make an impact, even if it wasn’t his best weekend. Their real issue is at the back—they needed help at centre-back, and Guehi gives them that. City will push Arsenal because of their experience, but honestly, I think Arsenal have enough and will get it done.”

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

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Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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