In a dramatic night in the Champions League last week, all 36 teams involved in the league phase of the competition had played, with plenty up for grabs. The top eight sides would go straight through to the Round of 16, while those ending up in ninth to 24th positions would progress to the knockout phase play-offs.
Ahead of the kick-offs, all six English sides were in contention for a top-eight finish, including Arsenal, who had already secured progression and were vying to remain at the top of the table. So which sides are celebrating as we head into the next phase of the 2025/26 Champions League?
Arsenal Maintain 100% Record
| Position | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Arsenal | 8 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 24 |
Mikel Arteta’s men had one of the easiest games of the night as they welcomed rock-bottom Kairat of Kazakhstan to the Emirates. The Gunners largely controlled the game and took the lead within a couple of minutes of the game getting underway. Viktor Gyokeres was the man to get the ball rolling with a fine, low shot. But just minutes later, the visiting minnows were level after Riccardo Calafiori gave away a penalty, which Jorginho dispatched.
The home side scored twice more before the break, however, to effectively end it as a contest. Kairat did manage to score a second, deep into injury time, and the 3-2 scoreline wasn’t a true reflection of the game. But Arteta and his players will be more than happy to have won every game of the league phase, and they’ll look forward to the Round of 16 with some confidence.
Liverpool Make Easy Work of Qarabag
| Position | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Liverpool | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 18 |
Despite some recent hiccups for Liverpool on the home front of late, Arne Slot’s side made no mistake against Qarabag at Anfield. The Reds looked confident from the start, and Alexis Mac Allister got the opener for the home side after just 15 minutes. In a very one-sided affair, Mohamed Salah was also on the scoresheet for Liverpool for the first time since November with a beautifully struck free kick.
Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and substitute Federico Chiesa were also on target, while Mac Allister scored a second to make it 6-0 at the final whistle. With just Bayern Munich and Arsenal above Liverpool in the final standings, it’s been a very successful European campaign so far, and it takes the pressure off Slot, for a while at least.
Spurs Forget Domestic Woes to Thrive in Europe
| Position | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | Tottenham | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 17 |
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham knew that a win against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany would be enough to secure their top-eight finish. The fact that the Germans were out of contention to even make the play-offs probably made it easier for the Premier League side. But they still had to turn up and get the result.
In a fine performance that makes their league form rather puzzling, Randal Kolo Muani and substitute Dominic Solanke got the goals to secure the 2-0 victory that sees Spurs through to the Round of 16. They finished in fourth place in the Champions League table, a point behind Liverpool, and the Spurs fans will be extremely pleased with that outcome.
Chelsea Showed Maturity and Desire to Win in Naples
| Position | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | Chelsea | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 16 |
Still relatively new in the job, Liam Rosenior was delighted by his team’s performance in Italy as they overcame Antonio Conte’s Napoli 3-2. It’s fair to say Napoli haven’t had a great European campaign, but they are a high-quality side and Chelsea needed to win to earn a place in the top eight.
In a relatively close match, the Blues had the edge in terms of possession and the number of chances created. A 19th-minute penalty from Enzo Fernandez gave the visitors the advantage, but Napoli fought back to make it 2-1 to the home side at the break. In the second period, Chelsea upped their game, and Joao Pedro scored a brace (both assisted by half-time substitute Cole Palmer). The victory meant Chelsea finished sixth in the table, just behind Barcelona on goal difference.
Manchester City Scrape into Top Eight
| Position | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th | Manchester City | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 16 |
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City managed to secure eighth position in the league phase thanks to their 2-0 home victory over Galatasaray. Their defeat to Bodø/Glimt last week put City’s hopes of finishing in the upper echelon in doubt, but they got the win they needed, and results elsewhere fell nicely. More good news came for Guardiola as out-of-form Erling Haaland ended his lean spell by opening the scoring after 10 minutes. Rayan Cherki got City’s other goal, and now the Cityzens can look forward to the Round of 16 without having the inconvenience of having to get through the play-offs.
Newcastle Miss Out Despite Spirited Draw in Paris
| Position | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12th | Newcastle | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 14 |
It was always going to be tough for Newcastle United to get a result against current European champions PSG in Paris. But Eddie Howe’s men came agonisingly close to upsetting the odds as they narrowly missed several late chances in a game that ended 1-1. The draw meant that Newcastle missed out on a top-eight finish but will at least continue in the Champions League through the play-offs. It also means Paris Saint-Germain will have to face the play-offs too, as will other European powerhouses Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
One of the stories of the night saw Jose Mourinho’s Benfica overcome Mourinho’s former club, Real Madrid, 4-2 in Portugal. That victory meant Real missed out on the top eight, while Benfica landed a place in the play-offs. To top off the win, Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, scored his side’s fourth goal just before the final whistle.