Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has endorsed Arsenal as the favourite to win the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League, citing the team’s current “solid” and “strong” attributes as decisive factors.
Oliseh, a former Juventus midfielder, made the comments during his programme, Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights. He praised the Premier League leaders, suggesting their current form makes them better equipped for Europe’s premier club competition than in the previous season.
“This Arsenal team is exceptional. They are very solid, they are strong, and that is one very clear reason why they are dominating the way they are dominating in the Champions League,” Oliseh stated. “In fact, I think they have a better chance of winning the Champions League this year than they did last year.”
Arsenal’s campaign in this season’s UEFA Champions League has been marked by consistent performance. The team secured top spot in Group B with 16 points, winning five of their six group stage matches to achieve automatic qualification for the Round of 16. This dominant group stage run contrasts with their domestic form, where they lead the English Premier League table.
Oliseh’s assessment aligns with broader observations of Arsenal’s tactical resilience and defensive organisation under manager Mikel Arteta. The club’s progression to the quarter-finals last season, where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich, provides a recent benchmark. The former Nigeria international’s viewpoint carries weight given his experience as both a player and a coach in European football’s top tiers.
The endorsement arrives as Arsenal prepare for the latter stages of the Champions League, with the Round of 16 draw scheduled for early 2025. Oliseh’s comments highlight the growing perception of Arsenal as genuine contenders for the trophy, a status supported by their statistical superiority in the group phase and their commanding league position at the turn of the year. The team’s ability to maintain composure and physical strength in high-pressure European fixtures is frequently cited as a key component of their challenge.
