I fancy them — Gareth Barry names team to beat Arsenal in UCL final

Gareth Barry has made a bold prediction for the UEFA Champions League, suggesting that even though Arsenal could reach the final, they will run into a superior team.

The Gunners have lost just once in the competition so far, finishing top of the league phase with a perfect record.

They saw off Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16, and beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Kai Havertz.

If Arsenal see off the Portuguese side, they will play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the semi-final.

Just weeks ago, Mikel Arteta’s side were firmly on course for a historic quadruple, but back-to-back defeats in the League Cup final and FA Cup quarter-final in the space of two weeks ended those dreams and left many questioning their momentum.

Despite those setbacks, Arsenal bounced back strongly in Lisbon and are still very much on track for a Premier League and Champions League double, sitting nine points clear at the top of the table.

“I think Arsenal and PSG are the two that I fancy possibly going all the way,” Barry told BoyleSport.

“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.”

Arsenal are back in domestic action this weekend as they welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium, looking to consolidate on their lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.