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Arsenal - Better than Real and Juve
Written by Sawyer | 23rd August 2006 | 3 Comment(s)
Victory, which should be all but assured from tonight's qualification match, will promote Arsenal to the top four of next season's provisional Uefa rankings.
As opposed to the competition proper where all matches count towards a team's points tally, the qualification tie as a whole allows three points for the triumphant side.
Providing the unthinkable doesn't occur, Arsenal will leap-frog Real Madrid and the already banished Juventus and rise to fourth position among Europe's elite, which would be the highest the club has reached since the ranking system was introduced.
Arsene Wenger has often mentioned the need to consistently improve the team each year, and even in the heady days of domestic championships, cups and unbeaten seasons his words were sometimes directed towards Arsenal's European achievements.
Steadily from the embarrassing times of group elimination The Gunners are now a team that regularly qualifies through the first stage and of course last season's success has given the players extra confidence to deal with the knock-out stages.
Obviously much will depend on their progress during the campaign as to whether their lofty status is maintained, but with Lyon the only club that would shed fewer points than The Gunners at this time next season a run to the quarter-finals could be enough to keep some of the richer clubs at bay until the benefits of the new stadium become more tangible.
Manchester United would probably have to win the competition to have any chance of finishing above Arsenal for next season's draw, and with Juventus out of the running Lyon and Valencia will be looking to hold off the challenge from the English club for a seeded position.
Chelsea will also have to gain ground if they wish to be a seeded team, but if they fail to achieve that this season the small amount of points they are due to drop should provisionally promote them to that status the following season.
Liverpool is more or less in a similar position to Arsenal following gaining their three points by defeating Maccabi Haifa, and along with The Gunners and Real Madrid will be chasing Inter Milan for the third position.
AC Milan's reinstatement to European competition was absolutely vital on more than just a financial basis when considering they would have dropped a massive amount of points next season and been ranked in a similar position to Newcastle.
Juventus of course will disappear down the table, and will be seen as a club on a par with the likes of Middlesbrough and Swiss outfit FC Basel.
Top 30 following games played on 22nd August 2006.
Team Pts to drop Pts gained Total Pts
AC Milan 31.2560 3.5185 109.390
Barcelona 31.1150 3.5185 102.622
Inter Milan 28.2560 3.5185 94.390
Juventus 29.2560 0.5185 89.390
Real Madrid 27.1150 3.5185 87.622
Arsenal 17.5200 0.5155 86.647
Liverpool 20.5200 3.5155 86.647
Lyon 10.6125 3.3090 80.715
Valencia 27.1150 3.5185 79.622
FC Porto 24.5475 3.5775 77.017
Man Utd 26.5200 3.5155 75.647
Chelsea 5.5200 3.5155 74.647
Newcastle 15.5200 0.5155 72.647
Villarreal 5.1150 0.5185 72.622
PSV 8.0350 3.2120 67.497
AS Roma 17.2560 3.5185 61.390
B Munich 6.0170 3.5185 57.023
AS Monaco 2.6125 0.3090 56.715
Sevilla 5.1150 0.5185 56.622
Schalke 04 11.0170 0.5185 56.023
Stuttgart 16.0170 0.5185 56.023
Deportivo 19.1150 0.5185 55.622
Ajax 18.0350 0.2120 52.497
Celtic 23.4335 3.3710 52.208
Benfica 3.5475 3.5775 52.017
AJ Auxerre 10.6125 0.3090 51.715
Midd'Bro 3.5200 0.5155 50.647
AC Parma 10.2560 0.5185 48.390
Lazio 23.2560 0.5185 48.390
FC Basel 14.9385 0.4615 47.978
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Comments
Comment by Matt on Thursday 24 August 2006 @ 7:54pm
Comment by Ballster on Wednesday 23 August 2006 @ 9:06pm
Yawn... Rankings, schmankings, does anyone give a f**k ?
Comment by Your name here on Wednesday 23 August 2006 @ 8:30pm
arsenal 2
Where is tottenham?? Arent they are big club?? Hahahahahahaha