Owen Hargreaves tips Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to win trophies but names two reasons why they will probably fall short in the Champions League

Arsenal’s latest bid to become European champions for the first time in the club’s 137-year history begins on Thursday with a trip to Atalanta in Italy.

The Gunners will also face Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk, Internazionale, Sporting Lisbon, Monaco, Dinamo Zagreb and Girona in the competitive phase of the revamped UEFA Champions League.

Bookmakers currently rate Arsenal as the third team with the best chance of winning the Champions League this season, after Manchester City and Real Madrid.

However, Owen Hargreaves, who won the tournament in 2001 with Bayern Munich and again seven years later with Manchester United, believes the Gunners are likely to fall short for two main reasons.

Speaking with Metro This week, Hargreaves suggested that Mikel Arteta’s current squad are too inexperienced – and perhaps naive – at the highest level of European football.

Owen Hargreaves expects Arsenal to win a trophy, but probably not the Champions League

Hargreaves also claimed that Arsenal lacked sufficient technical skills compared to clubs like City and Madrid.

Former England star Hargreaves, who is part of TNT Sports’ expert team for the Champions League this season, explained: ‘I don’t know if it’s naivety but I think they’re quite inexperienced at that level.

‘I can’t name many players who were there before last season – Jorginho was probably one of the few players, Gabriel Jesus, but he was a City squad player – so I think it takes time.

‘You saw that in those Bayern games, and Bayern were struggling at that moment, but were probably deserved winners over the two games. So I think it takes a bit of time.’

The Gunners were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich in April last season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured frustrated during his team’s defeat to Bayern

Hargreaves added: ‘[Signing] It is interesting to hire Raheem Sterling because he gives them experience and extra depth. He has experienced it himself in those games and knows what is needed.

‘Kai Havertz has done a great job as a striker, but I’m maybe a little surprised they haven’t brought in another player to help out.

We have seen that it is difficult [to win the Champions League] – look at Paris Saint-Germain, who invested billions and were unable to win.

‘I do think Arsenal will go up – they will win trophies. But the competition is getting tougher every year and that lack of depth could cost them dearly.’

Havertz scored the winning goal for Chelsea against Man City in the 2021 Champions League final, when Sterling was on the losing side.

Hargreaves pictured holding the Champions League trophy aloft in 2001 while still a Bayern player

Arsenal finished group winner in the Champions League last season, with 13 points from six games against PSV Eindhoven, Lens and Sevilla.

The Gunners then won on penalties against Porto, but lost 3-2 to Bayern in the quarter-finals over two legs.

Arteta’s men lost in the last 16 of the Europa League on penalties to Sporting in the 2022-23 season.

Arsenal have only twice advanced beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League. First in 2006, when they were beaten in the final by Barcelona. Then again in 2008, when they lost 4-1 over two legs to Hargreaves’ United in the semi-final.