Are Arsenal the Team to Beat in This Year’s Champions League?

Before the two clubs meet in a game on Tuesday, September 16, Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde has named Arsenal as one of the best in the hunt to win the UEFA Champions League.

The Spanish manager, getting his team ready to play their first group stage game at the Emirates, confessed that Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta as their boss, is playing in a new dimension this season. The Champions League is conducted at a slower pace. Arsenal is totally committed to this game, and we have to move to that level, Valverde said to journalists.

Arsenal went into the game with good momentum, having defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League. Summer signing Martin Zubimendi made the news, scoring twice. The midfielder, who is touted to be a future main pillar of the club, has already proven Arteta’s transfer gamble.

However, Valverde is not scared of only Arsenal’s midfield strength. He emphasized the need for Bilbao to adhere to their football philosophy, which saw them reach the semi-finals of the Europa League last season and even get them into the Champions League.

The boss of Athletic also made some jokes about the well-known people in the Arsenal line, which he hopes that past La Liga stars such as Zubimendi and Mikel Merino would not repeat their Spanish escapades. Nevertheless, even he recognised the magnitude of the task, branding Arsenal as one of the favorites to triumph in the current season tournament.

At Arsenal, the expectations of Arteta and his team have hardly been bigger. In the case of Bilbao, Tuesday will provide Valverde a chance to show that they are worthy of being on the biggest stage in Europe.