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  "path": "/2026/04/16/martin-keown-names-team-arsenal-must-avoid-win-champions-league-27998580/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-16T19:57:02.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Arsenal",
    "Atletico Madrid",
    "Bayern Munich FC",
    "Champions League",
    "Martin Keown",
    "Mikel Arteta",
    "Paris Saint-Germain",
    "Premier League",
    "Sporting Lisbon",
    "PSG",
    "Kai Havertz",
    "held Sporting to a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium to go through",
    "fallen short in both domestic cup competitions",
    "beat La Liga rivals Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate",
    "Sign up to our daily football newsletter",
    "TNT Sports",
    "expects the Gunners to advance at the expense of Atletico",
    "huge Premier League clash against title rivals Manchester City on Sunday",
    "lost 2-0 to Pep Guardiola’s team in last month’s Carabao Cup final",
    "check our sport page",
    "Facebook",
    "Twitter",
    "Instagram",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Arsenal legend Martin Keown (Picture: TNT Sports)\n\nMartin Keown has backed Arsenal to reach the Champions League final and says he wants his former club to avoid holders PSG.\n\nMikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders face La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals after beating Portuguese champions Sporting in the quarters.\n\nKai Havertz’s injury-time goal separated the two sides after the first leg in Lisbon and Arsenal held Sporting to a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium to go through.\n\nIt was not the most convincing performance from an Arsenal team who just weeks ago were chasing a historic quadruple but have since fallen short in both domestic cup competitions and given Manchester City hope in the title race.\n\nArsenal will face Atletico Madrid for a place in the Champions League final after Diego Simeone’s side beat La Liga rivals Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.\n\nOn the other side of the draw, Champions League holders PSG continue their title defence against German champions Bayern Munich.\n\nKeown believes Arsenal will overcome Atletico to reach their first Champions League final since 2006 and says he would ‘prefer’ to face Bayern Munich than PSG in the showpiece event on May 30.\n\n##  Get personalised football updates every day\n\nSign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more about your favourite team.\n\nArsenal beat Sporting in the Champions League quarter-finals (Picture: Getty)\n\nAsked for his prediction for the Champions League final line-up, Keown said on TNT Sports: ‘It’s too hard to call.\n\n‘I’ll go with Bayern to get through on that side of the draw. An Arsenal-Bayern final.\n\n‘We’ve seen out here already that Arsenal can beat Bayern Munich but Bayern are going through the gears now obviously.\n\nBayern Munich overcame Real Madrid in the quarters (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘I would still prefer Arsenal to play Bayern though just because of PSG’s pace which is ridiculous.’\n\nArsenal sealed emphatic victories over semi-final opponents Atletico Madrid and possibly Champions League finalists Bayern Munich in the group stage, beating the Spanish side 4-0 and the German outfit 3-1.\n\nJoe Cole also expects the Gunners to advance at the expense of Atletico despite their recent unconvinving form.\n\nAtletico Madrid face Arsenal in the semi-finals (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘Arsenal fans should be very, very confident,’ Cole said on TNT Sports. ‘They always knew they were on the better side of the draw.\n\n‘A semi-final against an Atletico Madrid team that we saw against Barcelona, Arsenal are a lot stronger in so many different areas.\n\n‘The only thing that Atletico Madrid have got over them is experience but I still think the double is on for Arsenal, I really do.\n\n‘It will be chaos but Arsenal can’t be gentlemen in a game like that. There will be dark arts from Atletico so Arsenal need to manage that.’\n\nArsenal now put their Champions League aspirations on hold and turn their attentions to a huge Premier League clash against title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.\n\nArteta’s side, chasing a first league title since 2004, boast a six-point lead over Man City, who have a game in hand.\n\nArsenal drew 1-1 with City in the reverse fixture but lost 2-0 to Pep Guardiola’s team in last month’s Carabao Cup final.\n\n**For more stories like this, check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook,** Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Martin Keown names the team Arsenal must avoid to win Champions League"
}