Arsenal could get a Champions League bonus that would allow them to play home games in every round up to the final, but only if they can pip Barcelona into second place in the final match of the league stage.
The Gunners sealed their place in the last 16 with a big 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates on Wednesday evening, thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.
Mikel Arteta's side are effectively through and need just one more point to guarantee a place in the top eight – and avoid having to go through the play-offs.
Arsenal are currently on 16 points after five wins, one draw and one defeat in Europe, leaving them third behind leaders Liverpool and Barcelona – who completed an incredible 5-4 win over Benfica in the final minute on Tuesday.
There's no doubt the North Londoners will be very happy if they continue as things stand ahead of their final match against Girona next week, but it could be an added incentive if they finish second .
Teams finishing in the top two will enjoy the added benefit of playing the second leg of each knockout round at home until the final. Barcelona are two points ahead of the Gunners, meaning Arsenal need to beat Girona and hope Barcelona drops points at home to Atalanta to enjoy this bonus.
We've seen how important it can be to play your second leg at home in the Champions League – especially after Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Barcelona in the 2018 semi-finals at the Camp Nou, before going on to a famous 4-0 victory went at Anfield to put them in the final.
Finishing second behind Liverpool would also mean they would avoid their Premier League rivals – and favorites to take the title – until a possible final in Munich.
Arteta celebrated Arsenal's victory over Zagreb by claiming the job was “nearly done” as he praised the team for their clinical performance without conceding a shot on target.
“I'm very happy because the job is almost done,” he said. “We still have a game and probably need something to achieve what we want. It was good. We had some big chances but we didn't score.
“In the second half we lost a bit of control and were a bit long-legged, that was the feeling I had too. Overall we got the job done and did it well. We didn't concede a shot on target which is a real positive It shows once again that the team is really complete.
“Overall we scored three goals, won the Champions League at home, kept another clean sheet at home – four in a row – and also made some changes. We rotated in players who didn't play that many minutes and they responded very well. Overall I think it was a positive evening.”
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