Arsenal face horror Champions League draw thanks to Atalanta’s Europa League triumph
ARSENAL could be handed a Champions League nightmare draw – as a result of Atalanta’s Europa League triumph.
The 3-0 Dublin win over previously unbeaten Leverkusen that earned the Bergamo side their first European trophy is set to have a significant knock-on effect for next season’s expanded tournament.
Italy and Germany had already been assured of a fifth place in the Champions League.
That means that Tottenham will play in the Europa League rather than joining the big boys.
But Atalanta’s win is set to give Italy SIX places in the Champions League if they stay in their current fifth spot in the Serie A table.
Roma, who are guaranteed to finish sixth, have a higher five-year Uefa coefficient score than Barcelona, who will then drop into the second seeding block of nine clubs alongside the Gunners.
Under the new league-style competition rules, every team will play two clubs from each of the four seeding pots.
Clubs cannot meet sides from the same country in the initial phase, so Arsenal will not play top seeds Manchester City and Liverpool.
But the seeding pots are now directly determined by coefficients, compared to the previous system where the holders, Europa League winners and champions of the top six leagues were all in the top tier.
And that means Mikel Arteta’s side – and fourth seeds Aston Villa – could face horrific draws.
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In the worst case scenario, Arsenal might have to play Bayern Munich and PSG from Pot 1 alongside Barcelona and Juventus from Pot 2.
All teams will play eight matches in the initial phase – which will not be completed until January.
The top eight in the “final” league table automatically make the last 16.
The teams placed ninth to 24th will then play for the right to join them in a fully-seeded draw, with the bottom eight teams eliminated.
So far, 22 of the 36 places for next term’s competitions are known, with an extra place for Germany – Eintracht Frankfurt – if Dortmund win the Champions League Final.
The final 10 slots will come through the play-off system which will finish at the end of August.
Spurs and either Chelsea or Manchester United – if the Old Trafford side win Saturday’s FA Cup Final – will face the same set-up in the Europa League, with the two English sides guaranteed to be top seeds.
ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest deals and rumours from the Emirates
Mikel Arteta's striker shopping list
By Jordan Davies
ARSENAL are stepping up plans to sign a world-class striker in the summer after their Champions League heartbreak.
Mikel Arteta splashed out £204.5m last summer on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
But the Spanish manager accepts he needs a proven goalscorer to take the club to the next level.
And here are the players he is looking at to get the Gunners firing:
BENJAMIN SESKO (RB Leipzig, value £40m-£45m)
One for the future at 20 years old. Scored 16 goals for RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga last season and the Slovenian has carried on that good form in Germany with Leipzig this campaign.
VIKTOR GYOKERES (Sporting Lisbon, value £60m-£80m)
Been scouted several times this season. The Swedish striker, 25, is more of a traditional No 9 so may not suit Arsenal’s demand for flexibility but would bring a physicality that boss Mikel Arteta craves.
ALEXANDER ISAK (Newcastle, value £75m-£85m)
Impressed in his first two seasons in English football. The Swede, 24, has the pace and finesse to match his finishing ability, and Eddie Howe’s Toon may need to sell to balance the books this summer.
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE (Bologna, value £45m-£50m)
Dutch wonder is attracting the attentions of clubs across Europe. At 6ft 4in the 22-year-old forward would have no trouble adapting to the Premier League and already has an eye for goal.
XAVI SIMONS (RB Leipzig, value £70m-£80m)
An incredible talent in the Bukayo Saka mould, currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. The future of the Dutch attacker, 20, depends on how much money his parent club want to make from him.