Arsenal get unexpected Champions League boost from Juventus’ points deduction
Arsenal are set to receive an unexpected boost in next season’s Champions League group stage draw following Juventus’ ten-point deduction.
Juve were handed the punishment on Monday prior to their game at Empoli, which saw the Bianconeri thumped 4-1.
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The Serie A giants were docked 15 points earlier this season for ‘financial irregularities and false accounting’ but the decision was later overturned, on appeal.
However, the new sanction has seen Juventus drop from second to seventh and are now set to miss out of Europe’s Premier club competition.
As a result, Arsenal are set to be boosted by the news that they will climb to Pot 2 after initially being placed into Pot 3.
With Juventus dropping out of the equation and Arsenal’s coefficient being better than that of AC Milan, the Gunners will occupy a Pot 2 berth.
This is due to the pots being determined by a number of different factors such as titles and trophies won in the previous season and UEFA’s coefficient.
Crucially, that means Arsenal will play a Pot 1 side but will avoid European giants such as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
The Gunners could also avoid old foes Bayern Munich should Borussia Dortmund seal the Bundesliga title this weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s side will escape a meeting season’s finalists Inter if they lose to Manchester City in Istanbul next month.
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Arsenal – finalists in 2006 – make their long awaited return to the Champions League after a five-year absence.
A superb domestic campaign will see Arteta and his young guns face up to the might of Europe big guns, handing players such as Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka their first shot at the Champions League.
