How can Arsenal reach the Champions League knockout stages?
- Arsenal sit atop Group B following win over Sevilla
- Gunners tasted defeat in Lens on Matchday 2
- Wins in their next two will see them qualify for knockout stages
Arsenal's trip to Seville was all about Gabriel Jesus.
A hostile overseas environment combined with a boggy pitch made life difficult for the visitors on Tuesday night, but the contest swiftly changed as the sharpest of Jesus turns created Arsenal's opener out of nothing.
It's been a long time since Gooners have enjoyed a Jesus display with such game-changing sharpness. The former Manchester City star was imperative to their early success at the start of last season, but his brilliance has merely flickered since he returned from a long-term knee injury in spring.
Seville brought out the most deadly iteration of the Brazilian, whose strike after Gabriel Martinelli's opener put Arsenal in a commanding position. Although Nemanja Gudelj's header quickly halted the Gunners' momentum, the Premier League title hopefuls held on with relative comfort to secure a big Champions League away win.
Here's how the Gunners can qualify for the round of 16.
How can Arsenal reach the Champions League knockout stages?
Group B table
Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Arsenal | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7:3 | 6 |
2. | Lens | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4:3 | 5 |
3. | Sevilla | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 4:5 | 2 |
4. | PSV | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -4 | 3:7 | 2 |
Defeat in Lens on Matchday 2 rendered Tuesday's game a huge one for Arsenal and they walked away with a massive three points to lift them to the top of Group B after Lens were held by PSV.
The Gunners now sit on six points at the halfway mark and are in a strong position to progress given they have two home games during the second half of fixtures. Mikel Arteta's side host Sevilla and Lens in their next two outings before travelling to PSV to wrap up the group stage.
With Arsenal's advantage over third-place Sevilla currently four points, they'll qualify for the knockout stages should they win their next two games. That would be ideal for Arteta, who'd then be able to rotate for the final game in Eindhoven. Although, the boss would also want to have top spot wrapped up.
Should they win their next two, they will also win Group B. With one game to go, Arsenal would have amassed 12 points, while the maximum each of the other three teams could have is eight points.
Arsenal 2023/24 Champions League group stage fixtures and results
Matchday | Date/Kick-off time (BST) | Fixture/Result |
|---|---|---|
1 | 20/09/23 / 20:00 | Arsenal 4-0 PSV |
2 | 03/10/23 / 20:00 | Lens 2-1 Arsenal |
3 | 24/10/23 / 20:00 | Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal |
4 | 08/11/23 / 20:00 | Arsenal vs Sevilla |
5 | 29/11/23 / 20:00 | Arsenal vs Lens |
6 | 12/12/23 / 17:45 | PSV vs Arsenal |
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