PSG Tipped to Derail Arsenal's Champions League Hopes Despite Premier League Dominance

Arsenal's trophy hunt has hit the rocks in spectacular fashion. After losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and suffering a shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship outfit Southampton, Mikel Arteta's side have seen their Quadruple dreams evaporate. The Premier League and Champions League remain their only realistic routes to silverware this term.

The Gunners hold a commanding nine-point advantage at the summit of the league table, though Manchester City's game in hand keeps the title race intriguingly poised—especially with the pair set to meet later this month.

Arsenal's immediate focus turns to Europe, with Sporting Lisbon awaiting in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final opener. Former Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry expects the north London outfit to navigate that particular hurdle, but he's considerably less optimistic about their continental ceiling.

Barry reckons PSG represent an insurmountable obstacle should they both reach the final. He pointed to the French outfit's recent resurgence as the key factor. "PSG looked really good in the last round, back to the form of last year. They've grown into it and look back to their best," he explained. "I think Arsenal and PSG are the two that I fancy possibly going all the way. Winning the title would massively take the pressure off Arsenal and they'd probably go into that game feeling a lot better about themselves and have a much better chance of winning it. Arsenal vs PSG would be a tough final, but I think PSG, they've got players that are made for those big, big games, so I'd probably edge towards them."

Fellow pundit William Gallas took an even dimmer view of Arsenal's European prospects. He's backing them to land the Premier League but reckons the Champions League remains a step too far. "I think Arsenal will win one trophy and that's the Premier League," Gallas stated. "They still have to be careful but normally they would win the Premier League from this position. Champions League? I don't think so."

Meanwhile, there's been growing pressure on Arteta to hand more opportunities to teenage prospect Max Dowman during this difficult spell. Arsenal legend Ray Parlour, however, has urged caution about sidelining Bukayo Saka in the process. Despite acknowledging Saka's recent dip in form, Parlour insisted the winger remains essential to the side's architecture. "You've still got to have Saka in his team. I know he's going through that indifferent form at the moment; he hasn't been playing the way he can," Parlour said. "He's not been up to his standards. We know that. He's set the bar high, hasn't he, with the performances, but every footballer that goes through it, he's just got to try and work out how to get back to his best. A little bit like Phil Foden, really. Phil Foden's going through that spell at the moment as well, in his career."

Parlour advocated a measured approach with Dowman, suggesting he'd be better deployed as an impact substitute rather than a starter. "At this present time, I wouldn't be doing that, but I'd be bringing him off the bench for 20, 25 minutes when people start just dropping their levels," he explained. "With his pace and his energy to go past players, he'd definitely be in use."