{"id":439,"date":"2026-03-18T11:48:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=439"},"modified":"2026-03-18T11:48:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:48:22","slug":"danny-murphy-names-champions-league-favourites-after-arsenal-beat-bayer-leverkusen-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=439","title":{"rendered":"Danny Murphy names Champions League ‘favourites’ after Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Arsenal have a great chance of winning their first Champions League title, says Danny Murphy (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Danny Murphy says Arsenal are \u2018probably the favourites\u2019 to win this year\u2019s Champions League due to the side of the draw they find themselves on and their defensive solidity.<\/p>\n

Arsenal safely secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition after coming through a tough last-16 tie with Bayer Leverkusen to win 3-1 on aggregate.<\/p>\n

The Gunners had work to do after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg, but a pair of wondrous strikes from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice either side of half-time eased any nerves amongst the Emirates crowd.<\/p>\n

Mikel Arteta\u2019s men, the only undefeated team in this year\u2019s competition, will do battle with Sporting in the next round after the Portuguese champions staged a stunning comeback to see off Bodo\/Glimt.<\/p>\n

Should they beat Sporting, the Premier League leaders would then come up against one of Barcelona, Newcastle, Atletico Madrid or Tottenham for a place in this year\u2019s final at Budapest\u2019s Puskas Arena on May 30.<\/p>\n

According to former Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Murphy, Arsenal are fully deserving of where they find themselves this season given the tireless work Arteta\u2019s players put in both in and out of possession.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019ve still had a little wobble at times but they\u2019ve not had anyone who is flying in to put the pressure on. But they\u2019re still so impressive,\u2019 Murphy said on talkSPORT this morning.<\/p>\n

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Arsenal overcame Leverkusen to book their spot in the quarter-finals (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Arteta\u2019s men will lock horns with Sporting in the next round (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018The thing I love about them the most is their mindset in terms of how to defend, they don\u2019t carry anyone defensively. They are so good defensively, even when they\u2019re not playing well. <\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re really impressive and that comes from the manager because he won\u2019t have anyone not doing their bit without the ball.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re the best team without the ball in Europe.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Murphy believes this weekend\u2019s Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City is an almost impossible one to call and could be decided by a moment of \u2018magic\u2019 of \u2018madness\u2019.<\/p>\n

However, the ex-England international put his neck on the line and named Arsenal as the standout candidates to win what would be their first Champions League title in two months\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think when they play City at Wembley at the weekend, that\u2019s a 50-50,\u2019 Murphy explained.<\/p>\n

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Rice was named the Playstation Player of the Match at the Emirates (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t know how you could say they\u2019re favourites, anyone can win that. A moment of madness, a moment of magic, whatever.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Champions League is different. They probably are favourites because of the side of the draw they\u2019re on, you\u2019d expect them to get to the final.\u2019<\/p>\n

Pressed for a prediction ahead of Sunday\u2019s Carabao Cup showpiece, Murphy replied: \u2018Arsenal, only because they\u2019re better defensively.<\/p>\n

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\u2018If Arsenal win either the Premier League or the Champions League then the season is a success.<\/p>\n

\u2018They don\u2019t have to win both. I know there\u2019s a narrative that they should, they\u2019ve got the squad, they\u2019ve spent this and they\u2019re playing well.<\/p>\n

\u2018If they win either, it\u2019s a success.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Eze come on leaps and bounds after a \u2018kick up the backside\u2019 from Arteta, says Murphy (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Turning his attentions to Eze\u2019s 36th-minute thunderbolt at the Emirates, Murphy praised the \u2018brilliant technique\u2019 the midfielder showcased to beat Janis Blaswich from range.<\/p>\n

The 2001 UEFA Cup winner has been mightily impressed by Eze\u2019s recent form and thinks a difficult outing at Villa Park back in December may have given him a \u2018kick up the backside\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was beautiful. He strikes the ball so well, he always has,\u2019 Murphy said of Eze\u2019s opener in north London.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was just one of those that falls beautifully. The technique was great but the reason he was able to strike it so well was because he took it at the right height. He\u2019s technically brilliant, Eze.<\/p>\n

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The Gunners are the only undefeated team in this year\u2019s competition (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018The Villa game, where Matty Cash kept getting in behind him and they scored and they kept losing him\u2026 he was playing on the left and he got ran ragged, Cash was running him back and running him back.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arteta left him out for about four or five games after that and it was a little bit of a kick up the backside I think.<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s much more disciplined without the ball now but also, when you play as a No.10 in that system, defending centrally, there are smaller distances to run and it suits him better.<\/p>\n

\u2018When you play wide, you doing 50 or 60 yard runs and you\u2019ve got to be proactive, not reactive, or you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n

\u2018In the middle of the park, it\u2019s little short, sharp movements and I think Arteta has worked with him on the defensive stuff.<\/p>\n

\u2018He looks like he\u2019s willing to do it, he\u2019s very proactive with his defending now whereas he was very reactive before. I like to see a player develop.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Are Arsenal favourites to win this year’s Champions League?<\/h3>\n
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