Arsenal are once again vying for the Premier League title, but Owen Hargreaves thinks it’s too early to call Mikel Arteta’s team serious contenders in the Champions League.
After returning to Europe’s top competition for the second straight season following a seven-year absence, the Gunners are considered among the favorites to make it to the final in Munich.
- John Obi Mikel fires back at Chelsea star who told him to ‘shut up’ after criticism
- Bruno Fernandes sends message to Jadon Sancho after making Chelsea debut
However, Arteta faces a tough challenge in changing Arsenal’s fortunes in the tournament, especially after their last campaign ended in a familiar manner when Bayern Munich outsmarted them in the quarter-finals.
A hard-fought derby win over Tottenham on Sunday showed that Arsenal can grind out results, but Hargreaves believes Arteta’s squad still has much to learn to achieve success in European competition.
‘I don’t know if it’s naivety but I think they’re pretty inexperienced at that level,’ Hargreaves told Metro.co.uk ahead of the Champions League’s return on TNT Sports.
‘I can’t think of many who had been there before last season – Jorginho was probably one of the few guys, Gabriel Jesus but he was a squad player at City – so I think it takes time.
‘You saw that in those Bayern games, and Bayern were struggling at that point but were probably worthy winners over the two legs. So I think it takes a bit of time.’
Arteta’s quest for experience will be strengthened by the last-minute signing of Raheem Sterling. However, concerns remain about their depth in crucial areas, especially the striker position.
Kai Havertz has performed well under pressure so far, but Hargreaves is unsure if the German’s contributions will be sufficient on their own in the Champions League.
‘Raheem Sterling on loan is quite interesting because he gives them experiences and extra depth to give them somebody who’s kind of been there in those games and understands what it takes,’ he added.
‘Kai Havertz has done an amazing job as a striker but I’m maybe slightly surprised that they didn’t add one other player to help out.
‘We’ve seen it’s hard [to win the Champions League] – look at Paris Saint-Germain who have invested billions and haven’t been able to win.
‘I do think that Arsenal are going up – they’ll win trophies. But the competition gets fiercer every year and that lack of depth could cost them.’
Arsenal and their fans will need to adapt this season as the Champions League shifts from its traditional four-team group format to a league stage.
This change hasn’t been widely welcomed, but while Hargreaves felt the adjustment wasn’t necessary, the former Manchester United midfielder believes it could eventually benefit the tournament.
‘The old format was so successful, wasn’t it? It felt like the teams used to get better every year. We were used to it and, as the saying goes, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,’ he began.
‘But we have seen European competitions evolve all the time. You get more games and bigger games in the group stages and there are more teams in it that probably wouldn’t have the opportunity before.
‘I look at likes of Girona and Stuttgart and Brest. They’re going to be cool stories. One of the first games you have got Real Madrid versus Stuttgart which is such a cool game. Defending champions against a team that hasn’t been anywhere near that for probably a decade. That’s probably an example of what’s to come.
‘I think in the end, people are going to love it, but people find change very difficult, especially when it’s been so successful. So let’s see.’
