Ex-Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes his former club and Arsenal have the best chance of making it to the latter stages of the Champions League this season.

There are an unprecedented six English teams in the group phase, with Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham also involved in the competition. Asked by 10bet which club will progress the furthest, Johnson replied:

“I think it’s between Arsenal and Liverpool to see which English sides go furthest in the Champions League. I think the way they play puts the fear factor in their opponents. Teams know that they’re going to get a tough match, and with Liverpool being champions – you don’t win a title by accident. They’ve proven they’re dangerous.

“With Arsenal, they have the ability to go toe-to-toe with anyone in football. If anyone goes hard at them in Europe, they’ll probably come off second best. I think they’ve got the quality to go far in the Champions League, which is a bit more tactical than the Premier League. They can control the ball more, and be more patient, which will help them.”

Liverpool will be looking to progress further than last campaign

The Reds crashed out of the last 16 of the Champions League in Arne Slot’s first season in charge. Despite topping the group, they were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the knockout stages.

After losing on a penalty shootout, PSG progressed and went all the way to win the tournament. In hindsight, going out to the eventual winners makes the defeat less disappointing, but the Merseysiders will still be hoping for better this year.

Slot will want a response after the defeat to Palace

The performance at Selhurst Park at the weekend was simply not good enough, and Liverpool will have to improve if they want results in two difficult away fixtures this week.

They face Galatasaray in Turkey on Tuesday evening before travelling to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 5 days later.

Read more about the Liverpool First Team Squad for 2025/26 here