Pardew Stands Firm on Liverpool Champions League Prediction
Former Crystal Palace and Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has reiterated his belief that Liverpool will win the Champions League this season, despite Arsenal's impressive pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple. Pardew made these comments following Arsenal's commanding 4-0 FA Cup victory over Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal's Emphatic Response to Brentford Draw
The Gunners delivered a dominant performance just days after a disappointing 1-1 Premier League draw with Brentford. Arsenal secured their place in the FA Cup fifth round with a comprehensive win that saw Eberechi Eze provide two assists after being substituted at halftime in the previous match.
Arsenal took control early with goals from Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, followed by an own goal from Wigan's Jack Hunt within the first 23 minutes. Gabriel Jesus added a fourth goal on the half-hour mark, putting the result beyond doubt in what was a repeat of the sides' 2014 FA Cup semi-final encounter.
Arteta Praises Team's Attitude and Cohesion
Mikel Arteta expressed particular satisfaction with his team's performance, especially given the numerous changes made to the starting lineup. "I'm very happy with the result and especially with the performance," Arteta stated. "The way we started the game... you really want to show how much you want it when you play against this type of opposition in the cup and we certainly had that attitude."
The Arsenal manager continued: "I was a little surprised with the level of cohesion and connection very early in the match because, when you make that many changes, that can be a part of the game that is lacking. But it certainly wasn't and we scored some very, very good goals so I'm very pleased with that."
Pardew's Champions League Verdict
Despite Arsenal's strong position across all competitions, Pardew remains convinced that Liverpool will emerge victorious in Europe's premier club competition. Speaking to talkSPORT, the former manager explained: "I'm still going to stand by my backing that Liverpool are going to win the Champions League, which I said on this show a few weeks ago."
Pardew elaborated on his reasoning: "That's because, and this is the reason, you have too many winners in that Liverpool dressing room who will focus very much on winning the Champions League. It's good for their CV, good for their contract negotiations, etcetera, so Liverpool, all in, Champions League."
Liverpool's Impressive European Campaign
Liverpool secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages with an impressive group phase performance, winning seven of their eight matches. This strong showing earned the Merseyside club a seeded position for the round of 16, where they will face either Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray, or Juventus.
Pardew acknowledged Liverpool's quality under manager Arne Slot, while drawing comparisons to Tottenham Hotspur's previous European campaign: "I think Liverpool are a great team, there's no doubt about that. Look at Spurs, when they went into the Europa League. Their focus was very much on that. Unfortunately, it cost Tottenham their focus in the league and they were getting turned over most weeks."
Pardew Praises Arteta's Management
Despite his Champions League prediction favoring Liverpool, Pardew offered significant praise for Arteta's work with the Arsenal squad this season. "What Arteta's done really well is he's kept the focus of the team for every competition," Pardew noted. "That's not easy, particularly when the team is trying to win the Premier League for a fair number of years so fair play to him."
The former manager added: "And again, today, he's done the job again. He's put a team out that was strong and fair play to him, he's got another great victory."
The Quality Gap Between Divisions
Pardew also commented on the significant difference in quality demonstrated during Arsenal's victory over Wigan, highlighting the substantial gap between Premier League and League One football. "Sometimes you can put a team together and the attributes of the team make up for all the individuals the opposition have," he observed. "Sometimes that does occur, but it's a hell of a jump these days from League One to the Premier League."
Arsenal's Quadruple Ambitions
With their FA Cup progression secured, Arsenal remain contenders in all four major competitions this season. The North London club currently sit top of the Premier League table while also remaining active in the Carabao Cup, Champions League, and FA Cup.
Arsenal's Champions League campaign has been particularly impressive, with the team winning all eight of their group stage matches to secure top spot. The Gunners will face either Borussia Dortmund, Olympiakos, Atalanta, or Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16.
The only concerns for Arsenal following their Wigan victory were injuries to defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White, along with uncertainty surrounding the fitness of club captain Martin Odegaard. Arsenal will discover their FA Cup fifth-round opponents following Monday's remaining fourth-round fixtures.
