GABRIEL JESUS FIRES ARSENAL INTO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 WITH DOMINANT INTER MILAN BRACE
Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Arsenal beat Inter Milan 3-1. The Gunners secure a top-eight finish and a place in the UCL last 16.
Gabriel Jesus fired Arsenal into the last 16 of the Champions League with a brace in Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Inter Milan, locking up a top-eight finish for the Gunners.
He struck twice from close range in the first half, and Arsenal walked away with their seventh straight win in the group stage at the San Siro. Now, Mikel Arteta’s got a real selection headache before Manchester United come to the Emirates on Sunday.
Jesus started ahead of summer, signing Viktor Gyokeres—who’s had a tough season—but Gyokeres still made his mark, putting away a tidy finish in the 84th minute to put the game to bed. Jesus just looked sharp all night.
Before this match, Jesus had only started twice all season. He’s finally finding his rhythm again after spending nearly a year out with a torn cruciate ligament.
He was emotional after the game. “It’s a dream night. I always dreamed of being a footballer. I watched a lot of Serie A as a kid, so being here, scoring here—I’ve got tears in my eyes,” he told Amazon Prime. “Things happen for a reason. Whether it’s the good stuff or the tough stuff, you learn. I learned a lot during those 11 months I was out.”
With this win, Arsenal sits on 21 points. Honestly, they were basically through before kickoff—last year, 16 points were enough for a top-eight spot. But Jesus made sure they’re six points clear at the top, with Bayern Munich chasing before their game against Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday.
Inter, who levelled through a fantastic Petar Sucic goal in the 18th minute, now sit ninth. That’s three straight losses in Europe’s top competition—a first in their history.
The Serie A leaders have slipped out of the top eight, and even if they beat Borussia Dortmund next week, their maximum tally is 15 points. So, Inter’s looking at the playoffs, even after starting the group with four wins.
What’s worse for Cristian Chivu’s team is that it’s another big-game flop. They’ve struggled when the stakes are high and were sloppy for both of Jesus’ goals.
Arsenal looked set for an easy night when Jesus poked home the opener in the 10th minute, capitalising after Jurrien Timber mishit a shot. That was Jesus’ first Champions League goal since November 2023.
But Inter hit back fast—Sucic smashed in a beauty, and suddenly Arsenal had work to do.
Sucic nearly had another in the 27th minute, sprinting clear thanks to Lautaro Martinez, but he hesitated, then sent a poor pass to Marcus Thuram, who blasted over.
Four minutes later, Inter paid for that miss. Jesus was left all alone at the back post during one of Arsenal’s clever set pieces. Bukayo Saka floated a corner, Leandro Trossard headed it off the bar, and Jesus was there to finish.
Inter didn’t give up, though. Federico Dimarco and sub Pio Esposito both threatened with angled shots, but Gyokeres finished them off on the break, letting Arsenal fans focus on United next.
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.
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.
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.”