Carragher Backs Arsenal to Overcome Atletico Madrid and Reach Champions League Final

Arsenal face a golden opportunity to secure their passage to a first Champions League final since 2006 when they travel to face Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher firmly backing the Gunners to get the job done.

The north London side have steadied the ship after a turbulent spell that saw them surrender the Carabao Cup in March, crash out of the FA Cup to Championship outfit Southampton, and allow Manchester City back into the Premier League title race. However, successive victories over Newcastle and Fulham have restored momentum, leaving them six points clear of City—though Pep Guardiola's men hold two games in hand.

The first leg in Madrid ended all square at 1-1, setting up what promises to be a tense return fixture at the Emirates. Speaking on The Gary Neville podcast, Carragher made his case for an Arsenal triumph: "I think Arsenal will get through. I think they're a better team than Atletico Madrid. I don't think Atletico are that good if I'm being honest."

Whilst acknowledging a 20-minute spell when the Spanish side seized control in the opening encounter, Carragher stressed that Arsenal dominated the remainder of the contest. He pinpointed a tactical adjustment as key to their recent resurgence. "I think the big thing Arsenal have done in the last couple of games is put Declan Rice a little bit deeper and I think that's had a big impact," he explained. "I thought he played well against Atletico, showed real authority, and was excellent at the weekend against Fulham."

Carragher had previously expressed reservations about Arsenal's midfield stability, but believes the repositioning of Rice has addressed those concerns: "I've been worried about that midfield, we've highlighted that a lot recently, but there's been a little change there and it helped."

Neville, too, has detected a shift in Arsenal's trajectory. The former Manchester United defender reckoned the Gunners are now "in a good place" following weeks of uncertainty. "To go to Madrid and play as well as they did will have given Arsenal a lot of confidence," he said. "I didn't think they would get done over at Atletico but they can make it horrible for you. That was my fear for Arsenal going into that game. But they played well and Bukayo Saka coming back was massive so they're in a good place."

Saka underlined his importance with a goal in Saturday's commanding 3-0 dismantling of Fulham, a performance that prompted Paul Merson to highlight his big-match credentials. "He's a top-quality player," Merson told Sky Sports. "I know he hasn't put up the numbers this season, but he gets doubled up. But he's a big game player. He gets on the ball, and when he isolates Jimenez for the first goal, he knows what to do, and he's on his weaker foot."