Champions League permutations for Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Aston Villa explained

Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa each person conscionable 1 Champions League crippled remaining successful the 2024-25 league phase.

The Gunners, who defeated Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 successful their penultimate league signifier lucifer connected Wednesday night, are 3rd successful the array aft 7 games.

City, who mislaid 4-2 astatine Paris Saint-Germain, are 25th portion Liverpool and Aston Villa are archetypal and ninth respectively aft they played connected Tuesday.

Ahead of the last circular of league signifier fixtures, present is the authorities of play and permutations for the 4 English clubs, with 3 of them inactive warring to beforehand to the adjacent signifier of the new-look, revamped competition…

What is the caller Champions League format and however does it work?

This season, the accepted 32-team radical signifier of the Champions League was replaced by a league signifier featuring 36 clubs, which has been commonly referred to arsenic a ‘Swiss model’.

Rather than playing 3 teams twice, each broadside was drawn against 8 antithetic opponents – 2 from each of the 4 seeding pots. Every squad volition play 4 games astatine location and 4 away.

The results volition find wherever each 36 teams decorativeness successful 1 ample league table. Those that finish successful positions 1 to eight secure direct qualification to the past 16.

Clubs ranked nine to 24 participate into a knockout play-off contest, wherever triumph volition unafraid a spot successful the circular of 16. Teams successful positions 25 to 36 are eliminated from the competition.

What bash Arsenal request to suffice for the Champions League knockout stages?

Arsenal are 3rd successful the league signifier array with 1 crippled left. They look an distant lucifer against Girona adjacent week successful their past scheduled fixture.

The Gunners’ 3-0 triumph implicit Dinamo Zagreb connected Wednesday, coupled with different penultimate league signifier matches crossed the past 2 nights, means Mikel Arteta’s men person all-but straight qualified for the past 16.

Only an bonzer series of results successful adjacent week’s last circular of radical matches could contradict Arsenal a spot successful the apical eight, adjacent if they lose.

What bash Man City request to suffice for the Champions League knockout stages?

City are 25th successful the league signifier array with 1 fixture remaining. Pep Guardiola’s broadside big Club Brugge successful their eighth lucifer connected January 29.

The Premier League champions are successful monolithic information of being eliminated, fixed that immoderate squad placed 25th oregon little volition beryllium knocked retired adjacent week.

It is not imaginable for City to straight suffice for the past 16. If they gully oregon suffer to Club Brugge, they are guaranteed to beryllium going location early.

Only a win against Club Brugge volition bash for City, which will beryllium capable to gain them a spot successful the knockout play-off round up of the past 16.

What bash Liverpool request to suffice for the Champions League knockout stages?

Liverpool are apical of the league signifier with 1 lucifer left. The Reds question to Dutch broadside PSV adjacent week for their past crippled earlier the knockouts.

It is not imaginable for the Reds to driblet retired of the apical eight, adjacent if they suffer to PSV, meaning that they person directly qualified for the past 16.

What bash Aston Villa request to suffice for the Champions League knockout stages?

Aston Villa are ninth successful the league signifier up of their past game, which comes against Scottish nine Celtic astatine Villa Park connected January 29.

Unai Emery’s broadside are conscionable extracurricular of the apical 8 spots, and volition hope to straight suffice for the past 16 if they tin bushed Brendan Rodgers’s side.

It is no longer imaginable for Villa to autumn extracurricular of the apical 25, meaning they are sure of astatine slightest a spot successful the knockout play-off round.

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