CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST-16 POTENTIAL OPPONENTS CONFIRMED FOR ARSENAL AND LIVERPOOL

Arsenal and Liverpool avoid the UCL play-offs after securing top-eight finishes. See who they could face in the Last-16 draw.

Champions League Last-16 potential opponents confirmed for Arsenal and Liverpool
Five Premier League clubs secure Top 8 spots; Newcastle into playoffs.

Arsenal and Liverpool now know who they’ll face in the Champions League last-16 after both teams picked up wins on the final day of the league stage. Arne Slot’s men got the job done against FK Qarabag at Anfield, while the Gunners saw off Kairat Almaty. Both teams are locked in top-eight finishes, which means they skip the hassle of the play-off round.

After topping their group, Mikel Arteta’s side already knew their possible opponents—one of the teams ranked 15th to 18th. That list is down to Bayer Leverkusen, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund, or Atalanta. The picture only got clear right at the end on Wednesday.

Liverpool, which finished third, have their own set of options. They’ll go up against a team that finished 13th, 14th, 19th, or 20th—so, either Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, or Juventus.

Tottenham, Newcastle, Manchester City, and Chelsea all had a chance to grab a top-eight spot and dodge the extra play-off games. Three of them pulled it off. Brentford, just behind Liverpool, now has to face one of the same four teams Liverpool could draw. Manchester City are set to play either Bodo/Glimt, Real Madrid, Inter, or Benfica.

Chelsea looked like they might miss out, but Joao Pedro’s two goals turned things around for them in Naples. That comeback handed them sixth place, so now they’ll face Monaco, Qarabag, Newcastle, or PSG.

Newcastle, though, ended up drawing with PSG. They're the only Premier League squad stuck in the play-offs. They finished 12th and will get matched with PSG, Monaco, or Qarabag. If they get through, it’s either Barcelona or Chelsea waiting in the last 16.

For Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, City, and Chelsea, this is a real break. They get two fewer games in a jam-packed February. All five will be watching the play-off draw on Friday to see who’s next for them in the last-16.

ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION

Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.

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Arsenal Bag Extra £15.9m Prize Money After Historic Champions League Semifinal - Photo Credit: PA

Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.

Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.

From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.

That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.

By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.

They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.

Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.

It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.

Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.

PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.

Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.

JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL

Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.

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Oblak Demands Mentality Shift At Atletico After Crashing Out To Arsenal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.

Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”

He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”

On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”

Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”

At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a

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