Arsenal could potentially gain an upper hand in the Premier League title race due to the ongoing Champions League campaigns of their London rivals, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners are one of only three clubs with a perfect record in the league phase, alongside Bayern Munich and Inter, while their capital counterparts are not performing quite as well.
Tottenham remain undefeated in this season's competition, joining Manchester City and the aforementioned trio. However, they have drawn both of their away matches so far, 2-2 with Bodo/Glimt and 0-0 against Monaco. Having won both of their home matches, 1-0 over Villarreal and 4-0 versus Copenhagen, Spurs currently sit 10th in the table. Just a point and two places behind them are Chelsea.
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Like Tottenham, the Blues have a flawless home record, having defeated Benfica 1-0 and Ajax 5-1. However, they have yet to secure a win on the road, as Bayern triumphed 3-1 in Munich, while Chelsea had to rally to draw 2-2 with Qarabag in their last outing.
At the halfway point of the league phase, both clubs occupy play-off spots for the knockout phase, albeit as seeded sides. If they remain between ninth and 24th place, they will face a two-legged tie in February, much like City did last season.
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Coincidentally, that is the same month Arsenal face both teams for the final time this season. They will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the weekend of February 21 before welcoming Chelsea the following week.
The first leg of the knockout phase play-offs is set to commence in the week starting February 16, just days before the Gunners face Spurs. The second legs are due to start from February 23.
According to Opta Analyst, Chelsea have a nearly 69 per cent chance of being in the knockout phase play-offs, while Tottenham's odds are slightly over 71 per cent. Arsenal, however, have the slimmest chances, at just under two per cent.
This indicates that it's highly unlikely for the Gunners to require a play-off. The possibility of their London rivals vying for a spot in the last 16 ahead of their league matches could provide a welcome boost for Arsenal.
Chelsea are scheduled to host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge later this month, before travelling to Atalanta in December. They then welcome Pafos in January and conclude their league phase in Italy against Napoli.
Spurs' next European match is an away game against Paris Saint-Germain, followed by a home fixture against Slavia Prague next month. Borussia Dortmund will visit them in the New Year, before they head off to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Arsenal are set to host Bayern before the end of November and then travel to Club Brugge for their final Champions League match of the year. Inter are their first opponents in January, followed by a home game against Kairat.