Football May 31, 2026

Arsenal underdogs in Champions League final vs 'best team in Europe' PSG, warns Gary Neville

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Arsenal underdogs in Champions League final vs 'best team in Europe' PSG, warns Gary Neville

Gary Neville says the "next step" for Premier League winners Arsenal is to lift the Champions League, but they are underdogs against "special" Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the title last week after Pep Guardiola's Manchester City slipped up at Bournemouth in the final week of the season.

Mikel Arteta's side now has the chance to join only Manchester United and Man City in winning the Premier League and Champions League in the same season, but Neville has warned how difficult it will be against Paris Saint-Germain, who are looking to win the competition in back-to-back years.

"This is an incredible opportunity to stretch beyond anything you could ever imagine as an Arsenal fan, because they've never won that trophy. And that's the next step after winning a league," he said.

"I'm really happy for them for what they've achieved this week, they should celebrate it, and they have. But now they've got a Champions League final, if they can go win that next weekend, they'll have beaten the best. They'll have to beat a Luis Enrique Paris Saint-Germain team and a Pep Guardiola Manchester City team. That's the way to do it.

"If you're going to go and win your first Premier League title for 22 years, go and beat the greatest of all time. If you're going to go and win the Champions League, go and beat the current holders and one of the greatest managers that Europe has seen in the last 10, 15 years.

"It's going to be tough for them. PSG are a different level. They've got one of those managers who is just a serial winner, that horribleness inside them that they'll do anything to win.

"Luis Enrique is probably the greatest manager in the world right now, with Pep Guardiola. This is his moment. Arsenal are going to be right up against it. If you can win back-to-back Champions Leagues, you put yourself on a different planet. And that's what he wants, he wants to beat all the records.

"It's going to be very difficult for Arsenal because they're up against a team that are special and know how to do it.
But they know how to defend. They've got some matchwinners themselves. Both teams are fantastic physically. I'm really looking forward to it.

"I think PSG are the best team in Europe right now. Arsenal are going in as underdogs and have to scrap and fight and get over the line somehow if they're going to win it."

Neville believes Arsenal winning the title before their final game at Crystal Palace, in which they heavily rotated, is ideal preparation for the final on Saturday.

He said: "Do you know what was so good for Arsenal? Them winning the title four, five days early to allow them those extra days of preparation for this game.

"It's important for them that they've got that extra four or five days. It gives them a free week now and five or six days of really good quality build-up.

"They're not in recovery mode, the players that will start against PSG."

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

England Women: Lauren James fit for Lionesses vs Spain as Sarina Wiegman's side target World Cup qualification

England Women: Lauren James fit for Lionesses vs Spain as Sarina Wiegman's side target World Cup qualification

Lauren James is fit to play in England's World Cup qualifier as the Lionesses reignite their rivalry with Spain in a bid to reach the tournament in 20...

Spain vs England: Lucy Bronze says rivalry makes teams 'stronger' as Lionesses eye statement win to seal 2027 World Cup spot

Spain vs England: Lucy Bronze says rivalry makes teams 'stronger' as Lionesses eye statement win to seal 2027 World Cup spot

You'd think both sets of players were getting sick of each other but it appears the battle between England and Spain remains as strong as ever."It's a...

Jan Paul van Hecke: Tottenham in talks with Brighton over defender and also could make move for Man City winger Savinho

Jan Paul van Hecke: Tottenham in talks with Brighton over defender and also could make move for Man City winger Savinho

Tottenham are in talks with Brighton over the signing of centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke.Reports elsewhere claim an opening bid from Spurs has been rej...

Khaldoon Al Mubarak: Man City chairman discusses Pep Guardiola's exit, new manager update and summer transfer window plans

Khaldoon Al Mubarak: Man City chairman discusses Pep Guardiola's exit, new manager update and summer transfer window plans

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has given an update on the club's search for a new manager following Pep Guardiola's exit.It promises to...

World Cup 2026: Why Harry Kane could play less minutes for England in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer

World Cup 2026: Why Harry Kane could play less minutes for England in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer

England have three strikers at this World Cup, and Harry Kane's replacements have never had such an important role.In this hottest of World Cups, the...

World Cup 2026: Why LGBTQ fan groups are not attending matches in the United States

World Cup 2026: Why LGBTQ fan groups are not attending matches in the United States

There’s a notable absence from this summer’s FIFA men’s World Cup that you might have missed. England's official LGBTQ supporters' group, Three Lions...