The Reds, who are six-time European champions, were knocked out of the Champions League last season 4-0 on aggregate by eventual winners PSG. It has been a turbulent summer for Atletico Madrid, with the saga surrounding Julian Alvarez's future dominating much of the discussion.
Martin Odegaard has impressed Paul Merson in Arsenal’s first three matches (Picture: Sky Sports) Paul Merson has heaped praise on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard following the side’s derby victory over Chelsea, claiming the midfielder is looking like a ‘new £100million signing’ this season. Odegaard had a largely underwhelming season by his standards last term, managing just one goal while chipping in with six assists across Arsenal’s title-winning campaign. It represented a major drop-off in return when compared to Odegaard’s second and third years with the Gunners, when he provided a significant goal threat and was twice named Arsenal’s Player of the Season. However, Odegaard has hit the ground running this term, scoring Arsenal’s third goal in the Community Shield before finding the net versus both Coventry City and Chelsea in the Premier League. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. The 27-year-old ran the show in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea and came away with the man-of-the-match award after completing an impressive 24 line-breaking passes as well as scoring the winner at the Emirates. He will no doubt be looking to pick up where he left off this evening when the English champions kick off their Champions League group-stage campaign away to Napoli. ‘I think if Odegaard got injured then Arsenal would get by, but he is back to what he was two years ago,’ Merson said of the Norwegian’s lightning start to the new season on Sky Sports News. Odegaard has flown out of the blocks this season (Picture: Getty) The Gunners have won three from three in the Premier League (Picture: PA) ‘If he can keep on playing like he’s been playing, that’s like a £100m new signing for Arsenal. ‘Over the last couple of years, his standards haven’t been good enough but the goal against Chelsea, they’re the goals you put up there for goal of the season. ‘The dummy by Kai Havertz and the finish by Odegaard… that’s football.’ {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mikel Arteta speaks before Champions League match against Napoli","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/08\/3761798954835882587\/480x270_MP4_3761798954835882587.mp4","description":"Arsenal's Mikel speaks to the press on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League match against Napoli on Wednesday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.","duration":"T1M34S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/08\/22\/111127717-0-image-m-34_1788904072537.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-08T22:46:27+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); Merson believes Arsenal have to be considered among the favourites to win this year’s Champions League after being beaten by PSG in last season’s final. But the ex-Arsenal and England midfielder fears the club’s failure to make a ‘superstar’ addition me to their attack may cost them come the business end of Europe’s premier competition. Asked if Arsenal’s fanbase would prefer to win the Premier League or the Champions League this season, Merson replied: ‘Now they’ve won the Premier League after a long, long time, I think it would probably be the Champions League. ‘I don’t want to talk on behalf of everybody else but there’s a song th
Arsenal’s failure to sign a ‘superstar’ may cost the club in Europe, says Paul Merson (Picture: Getty) Paul Merson has predicted Arsenal will fall short in the Champions League again this season after the club failed to strengthen their attack with an ‘X factor’ signing. Arsenal reached the Champions League final for only the second time in their history last term after overcoming Atletico Madrid to set up a mouthwatering clash with the holders Paris Saint-Germain. Kai Havertz struck after only six minutes to get the Gunners off to a flying start in Budapest, with Mikel Arteta’s men on course to complete the double and finally bring the club’s wait for a European trophy to an end. But Ousmane Dembele converted from the spot with 25 minutes remaining of normal time and PSG would go on to defend their title as Gabriel Magalhaes missed the decisive penalty in a nerve-shredding shootout. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. Arsenal kick off their group-stage campaign away to Napoli later this evening and confidence will be high within the group on the back of three successive victories in the Premier League against Coventry, Aston Villa and Chelsea. Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis have all been added to Arteta’s squad in preparation for the new season, with the north Londoners splashing out around £160million on the trio. However, former Arsenal and England midfielder Merson believes the club’s failure to sign a ‘superstar’ like Vinicius Junior or Julian Alvarez will ultimately cost them in European’s premier competition. The English champions face Napoli in the Champions League this evening (Picture: Getty) Atletico Madrid star Alvarez was heavily linked with the Gunners this summer (Picture: PA) ‘Arsenal’s record last year was amazing in the Champions League up to the final,’ Merson told Sky Sports when asked about the club’s Champions League chances. ‘They’re going to be there or thereabouts, I just don’t think they bought that X factor to take them to that level. ‘I think they’ve got enough to win them the Premier League with their squad, I just think their forward line against the big boys… I just think they’re missing that little ingredient. ‘If they’d got a Vinicius Junior or a Julian Alvarez then I think that would have given them the edge to go on and win the Champions League, and I think they might just fall short. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mikel Arteta speaks before Champions League match against Napoli","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/08\/3761798954835882587\/480x270_MP4_3761798954835882587.mp4","description":"Arsenal's Mikel speaks to the press on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League match against Napoli on Wednesday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.","duration":"T1M34S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/08\/22\/111127717-0-image-m-34_1788904072537.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-08T22:46:27+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘But they will be there or thereabouts, there’s no doubt about that.’ Asked if the fanbase would prefer to win the Premier League or the Champions League this season, Merson replied: ‘Now they’ve won t
Liverpool and Manchester United are among several major European clubs tracking highly-rated Georgian teenager Tornike Kvaratskhelia, the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The 16-year-old winger is currently developing at Dinamo Tbilisi and has already attracted attention well beyond Georgia. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to […] The post Report: Liverpool and Man United make contact to sign Kvaratskhelia appeared first on CaughtOffside.
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