Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka believes the Premier League’s top six clubs should all qualify for the Champions League. For the first time, this season’s Champions League and Europa League finals will be contested by teams from the same country as England dominates UEFA’s continental competitions.
Liverpool and Tottenham both secured memorable second-leg comebacks to set-up the first all-English Champions League final since 2008. Meanwhile, Xhaka’s Arsenal will meet Chelsea in Baku after the Gunners eased past Valencia and their London rivals progressed with a penalty shoot-out win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
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With Manchester City favourites to retain the Premier League and Manchester United, although finishing the season with a whimper, also showing they can mix it with Europe’s best after turning around their Champions League round of 16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain, Xhaka feels all could cut it in the competition.
“Every team that can get to a final is strong enough so, we know Chelsea, we play a lot against them,” he said. “Four teams in the final shows everyone what a league the Premier League is and we hope we are ready for the final. “You should have to go for the first six from the Premier League into the Champions League, so strong is the league. It is only four teams, four teams in the final now and so we can be proud.”
