Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott is optimistic about his ex-team’s chances of winning back-to-back Champions League titles, as long as they can avoid facing Arsenal.
In an interview with TNT Sports, Lescott expressed his belief that Arsenal would pose a greater threat to City over two legs compared to other teams in the competition.
He said: “I’m confident for City to win [the trophy] as long as they avoid Arsenal.”
Lescott highlighted Arsenal’s familiarity with City’s style of play, suggesting that the Gunners may be better equipped to handle City’s possession-based game.
He pointed out that teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG may not be as accustomed to playing defensively for long stretches of the match as Arsenal are.
Lescott emphasized the importance of understanding and adapting to City’s style of play in order to have a chance of success against them.
City fans on X are not particularly impressed with Lescott’s remarks, with many pointing to Arsenal’s questionable performances in Europe:
@Ayyoub172: “He said avoid WHO”
@mani434raju: “I would be happy if we draw them”
@YT0364696723994: “If They avoid who? We played them without Rodri stones kdb with rico lewis on midfield and they scored lucky deflected goal”
@MCFC_Sass: “Same Arsenal that Porto will eliminate?”
@Nxxeel: “Arsenal in Europe is a joke”
@FodenCTID: “Avoid Arsenal? If Porto don’t knock them out I want them in semis because I wanna play Madrid in quarters”
While some City fans have expressed skepticism about Lescott’s comments, citing Arsenal’s lackluster performance in Europe, Guardiola may see some merit in Lescott’s analysis.
With their solid defense and improving attack, Arsenal could prove to be a formidable opponent for City in the latter stages of the competition.
The prospect of facing a team from the same country in European competition is always challenging due to the familiarity between the two clubs.
However, Guardiola’s focus will be on City’s upcoming match against FC Copenhagen, as they look to secure their spot in the quarter-finals with a two-goal advantage from the first leg.
As for Arsenal, they will need to overcome a one-goal deficit against Porto to advance, making their potential clash with City uncertain.
Despite differing opinions among fans and pundits, Lescott’s insight serves as a reminder of the competitive nature of the Champions League and the need for City to stay focused on their immediate tasks before considering their next opponents.
