Arsenal face nightmare Champions League draw after Atalanta Europa League win
Arsenal are facing the prospect of a nightmare Champions League draw after Atalanta were crowned as Europa League winners on Wednesday.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side earned a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to secure their first major trophy since 1963 and a spot in Europe's elite club competition next season. Former Leicester and Everton forward Ademola Lookman scored a fine hat-trick on the night.
Italy and Germany had already been guaranteed a fifth Champions League spot due to their superior coefficient rating. That means Tottenham, who finished outside the top four in the Premier League, will play in the Europa League rather than in the highest tier of European football.
However, Atalanta's win is set to give Italy a mammoth SIX places in the Champions League if they remain in fifth spot in the Serie A table. Roma, who are guaranteed to finish sixth, would jump into the Champions League as the fifth league qualifier.
If Atalanta leapfrog Bologna or Juventus on the final day of the season into third or fourth, Roma would participate in the Europa League. Should Roma secure a Champions League place, though, would see them move into the top seeding block as they have a higher five-year coefficient score than Barcelona. Arsenal are set to compete in the second seeding block alongside the likes of Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid.
From the 2024/25 season, the Champions League is set to be expanded from 32 to 36 teams. Under the new league-style competition rules, every team will play two clubs from the four seeding pots. Clubs cannot play sides from the same country, meaning Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa are not able to face each other.
The seeding pots are now directly determined by coefficients, compared to the previous system which saw the Europa League winners and the champions of the top six divisions of European football in the first tier. That means Arsenal and Aston Villa are facing nightmare draws.
DUBLIN, IRELAND - MAY 22: Gian Piero Gasperini Head coach of Atalanta lifts the trophy as he celebrates the 3-0 victory with the team following the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 final match between Atalanta BC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Dublin Arena on May 22, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
In the worst-case scenario, the Gunners might have to face Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain from Pot 1 and Barcelona and Juventus from Pot 2 should they drop into the third seeding third. Every team will play eight matches in the group-stage phase, which is not set to be completed until January.
The top eight in the 'final' league table are set to qualify for the last 16, with teams placed ninth to 24th set to fight it out for the right to join them in the seeded draw. That means the losing eight sides would get eliminated, alongside teams placed 25th to 36th, to exit the competition.
Arsenal potential Champions League group: Bayern Munich, PSG, Barcelona, Juventus, ARSENAL, PSV, Fenerbahce, Sturm Graz
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