Arsenal have already secured unique Champions League semi-final advantage as huge boost explained

Mikel Arteta didn't wave the white flag, he never would; but his team selection certainly did. The race has been run for a while for Arsenal but the final nail in the coffin was here.

Even after gaining a point on Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend, when a 1-1 draw with Everton was actually better than Arne Slot's shock 3-2 defeat at Fulham, Arteta was not messing about. Maybe it is something to do with the edges of his already small, wider squad being stripped back by various injuries over the past four months,

The endpoint is nonetheless the same. Bukayo Saka: Rested. Stand-in striker: Rotated. Captain: Substitute. Full-backs: Impact players.

Why? Because there are bigger things at stake than trying in vain to chase down Liverpool, especially after winning the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final 3-0 against the best team the competition has ever seen.

That dream, the one that has always been slightly out of reach for Arsenal this season, no matter the brief and fleeting attempts made on Merseyside to add intrigue to the situation, is over.

Given the regularity of sizable fitness blows to key players, it always felt like Arsenal would have to put up with just one proper chase. Liverpool's consistency has meant there hasn't been a massive dilemma over which one Arsenal really had to make.

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The goal is always to be successful in every competition but as the weeks in 2025 went by, the Champions League became the only remaining route to a trophy. That sense has grown more and more, so much so that Premier League fixtures, such as the Everton and Brentford ones, have become just a warmup and a curtain raiser for the real event.

It is this that can give Arsenal an advantage to play with not only against Madrid - who were also able to make changes to their side at the weekend but not quite as sweeping ones as Arteta - but also their potential semi-final opponents. It is the sort of factor that can appear minute but cannot be ignored.

Anyway of securing a small gain at this level is important and Arsenal must take ownership of this. Madrid still have a La Liga crown to defend and to fight for in the final six weeks or so of the season, as well as the Copa del Rey final.

It is their stuttering in these two competitions which laid the precursor for the first leg performance in north London and cannot be overlooked. Carlo Ancelotti's side have not been at their best for a while.

PSG worked their 3-1 advantage heading into the away leg in the same way they have come through the knockout rounds: with energy, pace, directness, and extreme quality.

They are now, somehow, the people's favourites. This Qatari-backed club are the plucky underdogs with Barcelona, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich or Inter as their likely rivals. PSG have already won Ligue 1 and do not have any distractions from claiming the ultimate prize. That will worry Arsenal supporters looking ahead.

Maybe there is an element that suggests PSG's remaining fixtures being ultimately meaningless could see them drop-off or lose concentration. The same could really be said for Arsenal, who are safe in second. Both scenarios are unlikely and both teams will have full focus on what is on the horizon.

Compared to the other semi-final and Arsenal certainly have more room to plan for the Champions League. Barcelona are four clear at the top of La Liga and are on an incredible run but the job is not done yet.

There is, as mentioned, also the Copa del Rey Classico to come. That is a pressurised fixture which will demand plenty of attention and could impact how the Champions League shapes up.

As for Bayern and Inter, there is plenty at stake. Vincent Kompany is still fighting to prove that he was a worthwhile investment for Bayern despite being on the verge of winning a Bundesliga title in his first season. Bayer Leverkusen have not been the close challengers many expected but Kompany still has doubters. This will no doubt be even more prevalent if Bayern do not overturn their 2-1 deficit to Inter.

As for Simone Inzaghi's men, they are seeking to win Serie A again but still have to shake off Antonio Conte's Napoli. There are six points between them currently but Napoli have a game in hand and could halve that. Inter are the closest team stylistically to Arsenal and value defence first as a strategy. They are looking to make a second Champions League final in three years.

The league commitments and genuine race to the finish adds jeopardy late on in the season that simply isn't there outside of Europe for Arsenal. If the two clubs do meet then it could make a big difference given the energy and extra demands some of Arsenal's rivals still have to deal with.