Arsenal’s executives are in the process of making important transfer decisions this week but it could be argued that the most significant of them all took place in the summer, when they decided to loan midfielder Fabio Vieira to Porto. It was a low-key move but it had potentially seismic implications for Arsenal’s season, and perhaps for future campaigns too.
How so? Because the decision to loan Vieira was taken in order to create space in Mikel Arteta’s squad for Ethan Nwaneri. The prodigious 17-year-old had shown in training that he was ready for more action and he has since proven his class again and again on the pitch.
Nwaneri’s latest moment of inspiration came in the first half of Arsenal’s Champions League trip to Girona, as the teenager produced a fabulous long-range effort to help his team to victory. It was not a night of huge jeopardy for Arsenal, who had already done the hard work in the first phase of this competition, but it was certainly another step forward for Nwaneri.
“He is a player that has the capacity to finish from every angle,” said Arteta, who can be delighted with Arsenal’s third-place finish in the Champions League table. “He is willing to take the initiative to make things happen. He is very aggressive when he is on the ball.”
With Arsenal desperate for attacking reinforcements, having made an approach for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins this week, they can at least take encouragement from Nwaneri’s decisiveness in front of goal. There can be little doubt that more of it will be needed in the weeks to come, even if they succeed in their pursuit of a new striker.
Sadly for Arsenal, there was an unfortunate contrast between Nwaneri’s glittering brilliance and the ongoing struggles of Raheem Sterling. It felt typical of the winger’s luck — of lack of it — that he saw a penalty saved in the final minutes of the game. Sterling had actually produced one of his better performances in an Arsenal shirt but those final moments of incisiveness continue to be missing.
More concerning for Arteta than Sterling’s late penalty, though, will be the absence of goalkeeper David Raya, who missed the game through injury before the weekend clash with Manchester City. In his place came Neto, the backup goalkeeper making his debut at the age of 35 years and 194 days. He was the oldest Arsenal debutant since 1915.
It has been a long wait for Neto to pull on the Arsenal shirt and, to be blunt, a significant amount of rust appears to have built up in that time. After 28 minutes, as Girona’s Arnaut Danjuma (formerly of Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur) ran in behind the Arsenal defence, Neto inexplicably dashed outside of his penalty area.
More worrying still was that Neto then tried to save the ball with his hands from outside the box. In a strange way, Arsenal were fortunate that he did not do so. In such a scenario, conceding a goal is probably preferable to losing a player to a red card. Especially when the team equalises at the other end a few minutes later, as Jorginho did from the spot after Thomas Partey had been fouled by Girona’s Arnau Martinez.
The equaliser provided the platform for Nwaneri to strike his latest long-range beauty. Cutting inside from the right wing, the teenager shaped his effort around the Girona defenders and inside the far post. His sixth goal of the campaign, and not the first time he has produced such an effort from range. His talent continues to shine bright.
10:44 PM GMT
Arteta on Arsenal’s bid for Watkins
I can’t talk about any of that. My confidence is that we have an amazing club with people always working to try and improve. Let’s see what happens.
10:43 PM GMT
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s Champions League progress
Really good at the moment. Things are going well.
We won the last four games in the Champions League but winning in this competition is very demanding but overall the team has been very consistent, regardless of all the issues they have had to face.
Hopefully more belief in that dressing room that we are a good team and can face anyone and still perform and win games.
10:36 PM GMT
Raining goals
64 - There were 64 goals scored in the UEFA Champions League tonight, with only one day of European Cup action ever seeing more goals scored (66 on 16 September 1970). Nintendo. pic.twitter.com/7UvUC9F5TB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 29, 2025
10:23 PM GMT
On the right trajectory...
17 - Ethan Nwaneri (17y 314d) tonight became the second youngest Englishman to score a UEFA Champions League goal, after Jude Bellingham (17y 289d v Manchester City in April 2021). Special. pic.twitter.com/gH7FVIe1fz
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 29, 2025
10:08 PM GMT
The top eight’s potential last-16 opponents
Liverpool: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
Barcelona: PSG, Benfica, Monaco, Brest
Arsenal: Milan, PSV, Feynoord, Juventus
Inter: Milan, PSV, Feynoord, Juventus
Atletico: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester City
Bayer Leverkusen: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Celtic, Manchester City
Lille: Atalanta, Dortmund, Sporting, Club Brugge
Aston Villa: Atalanta, Dortmund, Sporting, Club Brugge
There will be no country protection in the last 16.
10:02 PM GMT
The final Champions League table
09:58 PM GMT
FT: Girona 1 Arsenal 2
It was a scratchy performance with a much-changed team, but in spite of Raheem Sterling’s late penalty miss, Arsenal win in Spain thanks to Ethan Nwaneri’s goal. It means they finish third in the table.
Their potential last-16 opponents as things stand are Milan, Juventus, PSV and Feyenoord.
09:56 PM GMT
GOAL! Aston Villa 4 Celtic 2
Plenty of hat-tricks in the Champions League tonight, and one of them has been supplied by Morgan Rogers. Villa are through to the last-16. Follow all the reaction from a no doubt jubilant Villa Park here.
09:53 PM GMT
PENALTY SAVE! Raheem Sterling denied for Arsenal
It is the 93rd-minute, and they are already through, but Sterling best hope they do not conceded an equaliser.
Were Arsenal to concede, they would drop into the tier that would make Bayern, Real and Man City potential last-16 opponents.
09:48 PM GMT
FT: Man City 3 Club Brugge 1
City are through to the play-offs but they endured an almighty scare after falling behind. Follow reaction to that game here.
09:45 PM GMT
GOAL! Bayern Munich 3 Slovan Bratislava 0
Kingsley Coman adds the third for Bayern, but it will not be enough for them to claim a top-eight place.
09:44 PM GMT
GOAL! Juventus 0 Benfica 2
Kokcu’s goal means Benfica are heading for the play-offs, along with tonight’s opponents Juventus.
09:41 PM GMT
GOAL! Barcelona 2 Atalanta 2
What a second-half at the Nou Camp, and Pasilic has levelled for Gasperini’s team. Atalanta have a fighting chance of eighth if they can find a winner. Liverpool top again.
09:40 PM GMT
GOAL! Dortmund 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 1
Dortmund are on the outside looking in ninth, but they are surely on their way to victory against Shakhtar. Dortmund need Celtic to level at Villa park.
Elsewhere: It is now Lille 5 Feyenoord 1 and Stuttgart 1 PSG 4.
09:35 PM GMT
GOAL! Barcelona 2 Atalanta 1
Araujo’s goal is a body blow to Atalanta’s hopes of finishing in the top eight.
09:34 PM GMT
GOAL! Man City 3 Club Brugge 1
Savinho has surely booked City’s place in the play-offs and spared them possible elimination. Follow the action here.
09:33 PM GMT
GOAL! Inter Milan 3 Monaco 0
The 10 men of Monaco have been put to the sword by a Lautaro Martinez hat-trick. Inter within three goals of Arsenal on goal difference, but whether the teams finish third or fourth makes little difference.
09:29 PM GMT
GOAL! Barcelona 1 Atalanta 1
Ederson has equalised in the 67th minute, which means Liverpool are top again and Atalanta are one goal away from finishing in a top-eight spot.
09:24 PM GMT
GOAL! Dinamo Zagreb 2 AC Milan 1
Milan are dropping out of the top eight again after falling behind in Zagreb. Lille are the team in that final place, with Villa in seventh. Musah was sent off early on for Milan.
09:23 PM GMT
GOAL! Aston Villa 3 Celtic 2
A thriller at Villa Park, and the man linked with Arsenal Ollie Watkins has scored. As things stand, Villa are back in the top eight. Follow the final half hour of that game here.
09:21 PM GMT
GOAL! Bayern Munich 2 Slovan Bratislava 0
Just like Real Madrid, Bayern look like finishing high up in the play-off spots. Harry Kane has scored their second.
09:19 PM GMT
GOAL! Brest 0 Real Madrid 2
Jude Bellingham has scored the holders’ second and they look certain to finish on 15 points. That will leave them just outside the automatic spots in 10th.
09:18 PM GMT
GOAL! Man City 2 Club Brugge 1
Ordonez has scored an own goal from Savinho’s cross, unlucky for the young defender. Can City hang on? Found out here.
09:16 PM GMT
GOAL! Dinamo Zagreb 1 AC Milan 1
Christian Pulisic’s equaliser in the 53rd minute means Milan are now in the top eight, not Dortmund.
09:15 PM GMT
GOAL! Stuttgart 0 PSG 4
PSG have found their range in the Champions League in their last couple of games, and Dembele has his hat-trick.
Brest thought they had equalised against Real Madrid, but the goal was disallowed.
09:13 PM GMT
GOAL! Dortmund 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 1
Dortmund occupy the final automatic qualification place in eighth, but things might be more nervy now because Marlon Gomes as pulled a goal back for the away team.
09:10 PM GMT
GOAL! Man City 1 Club Brugge 1
Mateo Kovacic was able to carry the ball forward without confrontation from a Brugge defender and curl home City’s equaliser. Follow the action here as City push for the winner.
09:08 PM GMT
GOAL! Barcelona 1 Atalanta 0
Lamine Yamal has struck for Barcelona, which means Borussia Dortmund replace Atalanta in the top eight. As a side note, that probably puts pay to Arsenal’s chances of finishing second and a different route through the tournament. Barcelona would also be top in front of Liverpool.
09:05 PM GMT
The second-halves are back under way...
More goals as we get them. Mikel Arteta has made a half-time change: Timber on for Partey.
09:03 PM GMT
This is very volatile but interesting
Liverpool’s potential last-16 opponents as things stand: Club Brugge, PSG, Befica and Feyenoord
Arsenal’s potential last-16 opponents as things stand: Aston Villa, Celtic, PSV and Monaco
09:02 PM GMT
As things stand at half-time
Topsy-turvy halves for Liverpool and Arsenal but nothing has changed: both will qualify in the top eight with Liverpool top of the lot.
Atalanta are clinging to eighth spot and are currently goalless at Barcelona, where they have to keep pushing forward. An Atalanta win there would give Arsenal the chance to claim second, and a different draw route as a result.
Villa are currently facing a play-off after blowing a two-goal lead against Celtic. PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern will also be in the play-offs.
Man City need two goals without reply in the second-half at the Etihad or else they are eliminated.
08:59 PM GMT
Nwaneri in good company
Goal contributions for Arsenal at 17-years-old:
???? Saka - 15 G/A
???? Fabregas - 8 G/A
???? Nwaneri - 6 G/AFollowing in the right footsteps ???? pic.twitter.com/RWBCVuvHsT
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 29, 2025
08:49 PM GMT
GOAL! Salzburg 0 Atletico 3
Game over in Austria with Griezmann scoring his second.
08:47 PM GMT
GOAL! Man City 0 Club Brugge 1
What a scoreline this is at the Etihad: Onyedika has given Club Brugge a well-earned lead. City need two goals or else they will be out of Europe. See if they can do it on our live blog here.
In this profile of Raphael Onyedika, Mike McGrath warned that he could wreck City’s season, and how right he could be.
08:43 PM GMT
GOAL! Girona 1 Arsenal 2
Ethan Nwaneri with a magnificent solo goal on his full Champions League debut. Arsenal back into third.
Ethan Nwaneri is a young player of many talents. The most important of those might be his ability to find the corner of the goal from distance. He is such a threat from those positions and he demonstrated it again here, with another gorgeous effort from distance.
08:41 PM GMT
GOAL! PSV 1 Liverpool 2
Harvey Elliott has restored Liverpool’s lead in Eindhoven. If it finishes that way, Liverpool will have won all eight league phase games, the only team to do so.
08:40 PM GMT
GOAL! Aston Villa 2 Celtic 2
Idah with a quickfire double and after 38 minutes, Villa are outside the top eight as things stand. A two-goal lead squandered by Emery’s team. Follow that game here.
08:39 PM GMT
GOAL! Girona 1 Arsenal 1
Jorginho has equalised from the penalty spot after a lazy leg was left on Thomas Partey. Not right in the corner but enough to beat the goalkeeper.
Arsenal pull level through Jorginho’s penalty, after Thomas Partey was tripped by Girona defender Arnau Martinez in the area. Interesting that Jorginho stepped up, rather than Martin Odegaard, but Arsenal won’t care who scored. Neither will Neto, who must be feeling relieved.
08:38 PM GMT
GOAL! Aston Villa 2 Celtic 1
Adam Idah has given Celtic hope at Villa Park and that game could be about to get interesting. Follow the action here.
08:37 PM GMT
GOAL! PSV 1 Liverpool 1
Bakayoko has scored a peach in what is a dead rubber for Liverpool. Follow that game here.
08:36 PM GMT
GOAL! Stuttgart 0 PSG 3
Dembele has scored his second goal of the night and PSG are crusiing after 35 minutes.
08:35 PM GMT
GOAL! Brest 0 Real Madrid 1
It has taken 27 minutes, but Rodrygo has scored for the holders. That goal takes Real up to 11th as things stand.
08:34 PM GMT
GOAL! Leverkusen 1 Sparta Prague 0
Florian Wirtz has scored for Alonso’s team, and they go above Aston Villa on goal difference and into sixth.
08:30 PM GMT
GOAL! Girona 1 Arsenal 0
Former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma has given the La Liga side the lead, taking advantage of some questionable positioning from Neto.
No change in the table as things stand, Arsenal remain fifth.
Neto had a wobbly start to his first Arsenal game and he’s made a real mess of things for the opening goal here, scored by Girona winger Arnaut Danjuma. The goalkeeper came racing out of his goal after Danjuma ran in behind, way beyond his penalty box, allowing Danjuma the simplest of finishes into the empty net. Neto was in no man’s land.
08:29 PM GMT
GOAL! PSV 0 Liverpool 1
Cody Gakpo has scored against his former club from the penalty spot. You can follow that game here.
08:26 PM GMT
GOAL! Sporting 0 Bologna 1
Tommaso Pobega has scored for the Italians, though they are one of the teams already eliminated.
08:24 PM GMT
Simeone’s son was the scorer of Atletico’s first goal
08:22 PM GMT
GOAL! Dinamo Zagreb 1 AC Milan 0
Dortmund are in fact inside the top eight courtesy of this surprise scoreline. Baturina has scored from the Croatian side.
08:21 PM GMT
GOAL! Stuttgart 0 PSG 2
Ousmane Dembele has added to Barcola’s early goal and PSG are in control.
08:20 PM GMT
GOAL! Dortmund 1 Shakhtar 0
Serhou Guirassy has scored for the hosts, who are on the fringes of the top eight.
08:19 PM GMT
GOAL! Inter 2-0 up now against Monaco
Mawissa was sent off in the 12th minute and now Lautaro Martinez has his second. Inter are going to be one of the top eight.
08:18 PM GMT
GOAL! Benfica take a surprise lead at Juventus
Pavlidis has scored for the Portuguese team, and any chance of Juventus of claiming a top eight place looks to be slipping away.
08:16 PM GMT
GOAL! Feyenoord level at Lille
It is 1-1 in France where Santiago Gimenez, linked with Nottingham Forest last summer, has scored.
08:15 PM GMT
GOAL! Atletico on easy street
Simeone’s team 2-0 up against Salzburg thanks to Antoine Griezmann. Atletico closing the goal difference gap on Inter, and a possible third-place finish.
08:09 PM GMT
GOAL! Thomas Muller strikes for Bayern
That did not take long against lowly Slovan Bratislava. Bayern will be looking to rack up the goals as they chase a top-eight place.
08:08 PM GMT
GOAL! PSG lead through Barcola
That goal in the sixth minute should settle any nerves. A PSG win would book their place in the play-off round.
08:07 PM GMT
GOAL! Villa and Rogers have their second
What a start for Villa at a buoyant Villa Park. Follow the game here.
08:06 PM GMT
GOALS! Inter, Atletico and Lille in front
They lead against Monaco, Salzburg and Feyenoord respectively. The Inter and Atletico goals mean, as things stand, Arsenal will drop down to fifth.
08:04 PM GMT
GOAL! Villa take an early lead against Celtic
As things stand, they will be in the top eight and Morgan Rogers has the goal inside three minutes. You can follow that game here.
08:00 PM GMT
KICK OFF!
We are under way around Europe, goals as we get them.
07:59 PM GMT
Just a couple of minutes from kick-off
All 18 matches kicking off at the same time. According to the live table as it stands and its implications for the draw, Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich are three of Liverpool’s four possible last-16 opponents. You would expected Real and Bayern to move up the table and change that picture though.
Arsenal’s possible last-16 opponents are currently Brest, Dortmund, PSV and Club Brugge. They would happily sign for the final-whistle now.
07:55 PM GMT
Kylian Mbappe fresh off his weekend hat-trick
07:48 PM GMT
Mikel Arteta on Ethan Nwaneri, who starts his first Champions League game
Incredible what he has done in the season. He accelerated the process of what anybody had in mind.
07:33 PM GMT
A curiosity to keep an eye on...
A draw will be enough to ensure Stuttgart and PSG of a place in the play-off round, and they play each other. A potential pitfall of the new Champions League format right there. West Germany 1 Austria 0 was famously played to a standstill at the 1982 World Cup because the scoreline suited both teams, with the match remembered as the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’.
07:28 PM GMT
Neto handed his chance with Raya ‘not fit’
Opta’s models have given Arsenal a 99.9 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight of the Champions League table, which has allowed them to hand a long-awaited debut to backup goalkeeper Neto tonight.
The Brazilian joined Arsenal on a season-long loan from Bournemouth in the summer but is yet to make an appearance, in part because he was cup-tied in the League Cup. At 35 years and 194 days old, Neto is the oldest Arsenal debutant since Ned Liddell in 1915.
It has undoubtedly helped the Brazilian’s cause that David Raya has been deemed “not fit” for this match. The extent of Raya’s issue is unclear but he was on the team’s flight to Spain yesterday.
07:10 PM GMT
Where each team is most likely to finish
You can read the full breakdown of each team’s prospects here.
07:05 PM GMT
Bayern Munich vs Slovan Bratislava
Bayern Munich XI: Neuer, Kimmich, Stanisic, Kim, Boey, Pavlovic, Sane, Olise, Muller, Tel, Kane
Subs: Schmitt, Klanac, Upamecano, Gnabry, Coman, Joao Palhinha, Guerreiro, Laimer, Buchmann, Musiala, Aznou
Slovan Bratislava XI: Takac, Bajric, Kashia, Wimmer, Blackman, Savvidis, Szoke, Zuberu, Barseghyan, Marcelli, Strelec
Subs: Mikolas, Trnovsky, Voet, Tolic, Medvedev, Mustafic, Mak, Pauschek, Gajdos, Vojtko, Ignatenko, Metsoko
07:02 PM GMT
Brest vs Real Madrid teams
Brest XI: Bizot, Lala, Chardonnet, Coulibaly, Pereira Lage, Magnetti, Fernandes, Camara, Balde, Ajorque, Doumbia
Subs: Coudert, Jauny, Niakhate Ndiaye, Del Castillo, Sima, Lees-Melou, Faivre, Le Cardinal, Salah
Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Lucas, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Modric, Bellingham, Diaz, Mbappe, Rodrygo
Subs: Lunin, Mestre, Alaba, Guler, Endrick, Ceballos, Garcia, García, Ramon, Asencio, Fortuny
06:57 PM GMT
Barcelona vs Atalanta teams
Barcelona XI: Szczesny, Kounde, Araujo, Garcia, Balde, de Jong, Gonzalez, Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Subs: Pena, Kochen, Cubarsi, Torres, Fati, Torre, Lopez, Casado, Victor, Fort, Gerard
Atalanta XI: Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac, Bellanova, de Roon, Ederson Silva, Zappacosta, Pasalic, De Ketelaere, Retegui.
Subs XI: Rui Patricio, Rossi, Toloi, Cuadrado, Zaniolo, Ruggeri, Samardzic, Cassa, Palestra, Scalvini, Brescianini, Vlahovic
06:54 PM GMT
Inter vs Monaco team news
Inter Milan XI: Sommer, Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Lautaro Martinez, Thuram
Subs: Josep Martinez, Calligaris, Zielinski, Arnautovic, Frattesi, Buchanan, Carlos Augusto, Bisseck, Darmian, De Pieri
Monaco XI: Majecki, Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Mawissa Elebi, Zakaria, Camara, Akliouche, Golovin, Minamino, Embolo
Subs: Kohn, Lienard, Teze, Ben Seghir, Henrique, Ouattara, Diatta, Coulibaly, Michal, Bouabre, Magassa
06:53 PM GMT
Stuttgart vs PSG team news
Stuttgart XI: Bredlow, Vagnoman, Al Dakhil, Chabot, Mittelstadt, Karazor, Stiller, Leweling, Millot, Fuhrich, Undav
Subs: Seimen, Keitel, Demirovic, Stenzel, Stergiou, Rieder, Chase, Malanga, Bujupi
PSG XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Hernandez, Zaire Emery, Vitinha, Neves, Dembele, Doue, Barcola
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Fabian, Goncalo Ramos, Asensio, Lee, Mayulu, Lucas Beraldo, Tape
06:47 PM GMT
Arsenal team news: No Raya with Rice, Havertz and Saliba rested
Arsenal XI: Neto, Partey, Kiwior, Gabriel, Calafiori, Jorginho, Merino, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Sterling, Trossard
Subs: Setford, Porter, Timber, Zinchenko, Lewis-Skelly, Tierney, Saliba, Rice, Salah, Martinelli, Butler-Oyedeji, Havertz.
06:38 PM GMT
Two teams in action tonight doing business
Aston Villa midfielder Emi Buendia has joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan for the rest of the season after signing a contract extension at Villa Park.
The 28-year-old has not started a match in the Premier League for Unai Emery’s side this season but has appeared 12 times from the bench.
He played from the start in last week’s 1-0 defeat to Monaco in the Champions League but will now spend the rest of the campaign with Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga champions.
06:30 PM GMT
Champions League table
06:29 PM GMT
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06:28 PM GMT
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06:25 PM GMT
PSG, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid still unsure of fate
Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the final round of fixtures in the Champions League league phase, with 18 games on tonight’s schedule.
If you want to follow specific fixtures, Telegraph Sport is covering Aston Villa vs Celtic (here), PSV Eindhoven vs Liverpool (here) and Manchester City vs Club Brugge (here).
This is where you can follow goals from all of those games, as well as scores from around Europe with the likes of Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich still unsure of their fate.
PSG’s cause was boosted by their comeback against City last week, but on just 10 points their place in Europe remains precarious going into their away game at Stuttgart this evening. The German club are on the same number of points and also hope to make it through to the play-off round. The pressure is on PSG, who have to anticipate a Man City win against Brugge.
Bayern and Real Madrid, both on 12 points, could still secure a top-eight finish but will require victories and other results to go their way. Bayern are almost certainties against Slovan Bratislava, the Slovakian club on zero points from seven games. Real have a tougher game away at French club Brest, who have punched above their weight in the Champions League and are one of a stack of clubs on 13 points. Bayern and Real’s final placing could influence whether or not they could play Man City in the ‘punishment round’.
The other English club in action tonight are Arsenal, who play Girona away. Unlike Liverpool and Barcelona they are not mathematically confirmed in the top eight and therefore the last 16, but to all intents and purposes they are. Arsenal fans will be interested in the extent to which Mikel Arteta rotates his team with a game against Man City to come at the weekend.
Team news on the way shortly.
