- Arsenal will be given a big chance in the Champions League after finishing at the top of the league stage
- The Gunners beat Kairat Almaty 3-2 on Wednesday night to become the first team to win all of their league games
- UEFA rule changes following Arsenal’s complaints last season will now see the Gunners have a better chance when the knockout rounds begin
Arsenal they will be given a key place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League after recent rule changes by UEFA.
The Gunners maintained their impressive start to the season, beating Kazakhstan youngster Kairat Almay on Wednesday evening to make it eight wins from eight games.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now confirmed their place in the Round of 16 without having to go through the play-offs.
Why did Arsenal complain to UEFA?
Last season, they also qualified directly after finishing third behind Liverpool and Barcelona.
However, despite this, they failed in the knockout rounds as they played both the second round matches of their quarter-final and semi-final games away from home.
Arsenal are understood to have complained afterwards after being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain, the eventual winners, in the semi-finals.
PSG were given the luxury of playing the second round of the semi-finals at home despite needing the playoffs to advance.
What are the UEFA rule changes?
So, in many changes, the teams that finish higher in the league stage this season will have the advantage of playing the second round at home.
The teams finishing first to fourth will be given priority in the quarter-finals, while the top two will be given priority in the semi-finals. The round of 16 remains the same; the teams that finish in the top eight will play the second round at home.
“The seeded teams, i.e. the teams seeded 1 to 4 after the league stage, play a second leg at home in the quarter-finals, and the teams seeded 1 and 2 also play a semi-final second leg at home. If the seeded team loses in any round, the team that eliminated them takes their place in the bracket path (ie, the top position for the purpose of climbing is no longer counted after each round),” reads the UEFA document.
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