Arsenal hand Manchester City huge Champions League boost after Real Madrid victory | OneFootball

Manchester City have been handed a significant boost to their hopes of qualifying for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign courtesy of rivals Arsenal.

The development comes after Mikel Arteta’s side cruised to victory in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

A 3-0 win over Los Blancos saw Declan Rice notch twice via two direct free-kicks from distance beyond goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, with a third added by makeshift striker Mikel Merino on a night to reminder for the North London outfit.

Some of those within Manchester City’s camp will no doubt have been watching out, particularly given the impact of an Arsenal win on the Premier League’s qualification places for next season’s Champions League – of which City are embroiled in a battle to secure.

Manchester City currently find themselves in sixth position in the Premier League table after the weekend’s 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, in what is no doubt a fair reflection of their underwhelming showings throughout the season.

As a result of Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night, the Premier League will now have five teams in the Champions League next season after it secured an extra place for performance by clubs across the three European competitions.

Should Aston Villa win this season’s Champions League and finish fifth in the Premier League table, then six teams would qualify for the Champions League; the top four, Champions League titleholders, and the European Performance Spot (EPS), which drops to sixth.

In fact, it has been widely pointed out that the maximum number of places in the Champions League next season could be seven; the top four in the Premier League, the aforementioned EPS, as well as Aston Villa, and Manchester United or Tottenham as winners of the Champions League and Europa League respectively.

Up next for Manchester City is a return to Premier League action off the back of their stalemate against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Crystal Palace the visitors to the Etihad Stadium.

It is a run of Premier League fixtures right through until the end of the ongoing season for Pep Guardiola and his players, although there remains hope of additional silverware in the weeks and months that remain.

Nottingham Forest face off against Manchester City in the last-four of the FA Cup towards the end of this month, with a place in the showpiece final up for grabs against the winner of Crystal Palace against Aston Villa.