Arsenal "absolutely" have a chance of going all the way in this season's Champions League and should use Greece and Tottenham Hotspur's shock tournament runs as inspiration, according to Charles Watts.
The Gunners will discover their opponents for the last 16 of the competition on Friday and will be drawn against one of two Eredivisie sides in PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord, the latter of whom are reportedly about to appoint Robin van Persie as their new manager.
Mikel Arteta's men bypassed the knockout round playoffs thanks to their third-placed finish in the league phase, but they have since been ravaged by injuries to four key attackers in Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.
Nevertheless, with Saka and Martinelli expected to return before the quarter-finals in April, and the Gunners conceding the second-fewest goals in the league phase behind Inter Milan, Watts believes that Arsenal can sneak into the showpiece match by virtue of being exceptional defensively, as Greece were during their shock run to Euro 2024 glory.
"There's a chance," Watts told Sports Mole. "Saka and Martinelli should hopefully be back for the quarter-finals if Arsenal get there. They'll be in a hell of a lot stronger position if you've got those two players in the team.
"But say you're coming up against Real Madrid in the semi-finals or final, and you're coming up against a team that's got Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrigo, Bellingham, and then Arsenal have got Mikel Merino up front, it's chalk and cheese, isn't it?
Can Arsenal do a Greece to win Champions League?
"It's going to be very, very tough. But it's a cup competition. If you're very good defensively, you can get your way through to a final. You can win games by being very defensively strong and then taking an opportunity that comes your way at the other end.
"We've seen Greece win the Euros in 2004 by basically doing exactly that and surprising everyone. Arsenal winning the Champions League wouldn't be anywhere near as big a surprise as Greece winning the Euros in 2004, but it can happen."
Greece did not concede a single goal during the knockout phase of Euro 2004, defeating France 1-0 in the quarter-finals, the Czech Republic 1-0 in the semis and finally sinking Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal by the same scoreline in the final.
As well as shipping just three goals in the league phase of the tournament, Arsenal currently boast the meanest defence in England's top flight with just 22 Premier League goals conceded, having seen their rearguard largely stay intact amid their fitness woes up front.
Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and the fledgling Myles Lewis-Skelly have formed a formidable backline in front of David Raya, as Arsenal seek to finally earn a long-awaited slice of European silverware after winning the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup.
'If Tottenham can reach the final, anything can happen'
© Imago
Arsene Wenger's 2005-06 side were beaten by Barcelona in the final, 13 years before Tottenham Hotspur finished as runners-up to Liverpool, and Watts believes that Arsenal's North London rivals making the final shows that "anything can happen" in the competition.
"It's going to be incredibly difficult, but you've just got to rely on what you're very, very strong at, and Arsenal are very strong defensively," Watts added. "They don't concede many goals. They've shown that already in the Champions League. There's absolutely a chance. But it's not going to be easy.
"I can't imagine they would be anywhere near favourites if they got through to the final four because of the situation they're in. But I can't rule it out. Tottenham got to the final a few years ago! If that can happen, then anything can happen in the Champions League."
If Arsenal are drawn to face PSV in the last 16, they could meet either Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the quarters, but they would be on a collision course to meet Bayern Munich in the last eight if they take on Feyenoord.
The Gunners were edged out 3-2 on aggregate by the German giants in last year's quarter-final stage, having ended a run of seven straight exits at the last-16 stage running from 2011 to 2017.
Ben Knapton
