Liverpool have a better chance of winning the Champions League than Arsenal, believes a man who played for both clubs, Jermaine Pennant.
The Gunners are having a perfect European campaign so far, sitting top of the group stage table, with seven wins from seven games.
Mikel Arteta’s side beat Inter Milan 3-1 in the San Siro on Tuesday night, with no team scoring more than their 20 goals in seven matches and with just two conceded they boast comfortably the best defence in the competition.
Liverpool have also been going well in the Champions League, with a 3-0 win in Marseille on Wednesday leaving the Reds fourth in the table with one group stage match to play.
There is no question that Arsenal are enjoying a better season than Liverpool, both in Europe and also sitting 14 points ahead of the Reds in the Premier League.
Pennant has a feeling for Arne Slot’s men in the Champions League, though, believing they would get the better of the Gunners over two legs.
He also reckons their history as European champions on six occasions, compared to Arsenal’s lack of success, gives them an edge.
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‘Liverpool are better in the Champions League,’ Pennant told talkSPORT ‘They’ve got the pedigree, got the know-how and I think they will do a lot better this season in the Champions League than they would do in the Premier League. 100 per cent.’
Asked if he thinks Liverpool have a better chance than Arsenal in the Champions League, he said: ‘Yeah. I genuinely do, because Liverpool are six-time Champions League winners. They’ve got the pedigree, they know what it is to get there to win it.
‘Over a two-legged game I think Liverpool would beat Arsenal.
‘Over a two-legged game I think Liverpool would go to Emirates, stink it out, come back to Anfield and if they can get Anfield rocking on a Wednesday Champions League night, it’s a horrible place to go. We’ve seen what Arsenal do when they go to Anfield.’
On Arsenal’s perfect record in the Champions League this season, Pennant pointed out that Liverpool enjoyed a superb group stage in last year’s competition, only to be beaten by PSG in the last 16.
‘Liverpool won every game bar one and they were top of the league, then they played PSG who were 22nd and went on to win it,’ he said.
‘Coming top in the Champions League right now means nothing, it’s when you come face-to-face over a two-legged period.’
The final group stage matches are played next Wednesday, with Arsenal hosting Kairat as they look to keep their perfect record intact.
Liverpool need a result to guarantee their place in the top eight and avoid the play-offs, hosting Qarabag and looking for a win to secure their spot in the knockout stages.
