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Is the new UWCL format easier for English teams?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Arsenal and Manchester United reached the quarter-finals via a two-legged play-offByEmma Sanders
Three English teams have reached the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League this season – but has it been as easy as it appears?
Manchester United, competing in the main draw for the first time, wrapped up a 5-0 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
That secured their spot in the last eight via the two-legged play-off, while Arsenal went through the same path, beating OH Leuven 7-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea had already booked their place in the quarter-finals by finishing in the top four of the league phase – the new format introduced this season.
But have the league phase changes made it easier, or harder, to navigate? Or have the English teams just shown their superiority?
Not exactly.
Reigning champions Arsenal had to kick off their campaign against record eight-time winners Lyon, who they beat in the semi-finals last season.
This time they lost and they were also beaten by Bayern Munich in the league phase, meaning they had work to do to qualify.
It was a nervy few months but victories against Real Madrid and FC Twente helped Arsenal finish fifth in the table. They were handed a favourable tie in their knockout play-offs, avoiding more established European teams like Wolfsburg and Juventus to take on competition debutants OH Leuven, who they had already beaten 3-0 in the league phase.
They bettered that scoreline in the first leg, winning 4-0, but Arsenal boss Renee Slegers insisted it was not straightforward, saying her side just found form when it mattered.
“Ahead of the first game, we were very aware that Leuven had made it difficult for teams in Europe,” mentioned Slegers after their 3-1 victory in the second leg.
“We actually played really well in Leuven and were clinical. When we go into the second game, we know we’re already 4-0 up, so it becomes a different game.”
United had to face Atletico Madrid, who have reached the main draw six times in the past decade, having also played them in the league phase.
The Spanish side are sixth in Liga F and 25 points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
The competition has been far from easy for United though, having to play three qualifying rounds before the league phase – coming from behind to beat Brann – and then meeting two-time winners Wolfsburg, Italian giants Juventus and record-holders Lyon in their group.
“For sure, it hasn’t felt easy. I’ve really enjoyed the structure of the Champions League to get here,” mentioned United boss Marc Skinner. “It’s exposed us to different styles of play. The experiences have helped us grow quickly.
“You look back to when we played Lyon, the close Valerenga game and Juventus in the last game of the league phase – the growth is incredible from our team.”
Even Chelsea, who were top seeds and qualified directly for the quarter-finals, had to play fellow last-eight qualifiers Barcelona and Wolfsburg in the league phase.
They have Arsenal next, and could still face Lyon and Barcelona on route to the final.
In the new format, 18 teams face six opponents, drawn home or away, and the top four in the league phase go straight into the quarter-finals, the bottom six are eliminated and the remaining eight join a seeded play-off for the knockout stage.
Previously, groups of four would play each other home and away with the top two going through to the knockout stages.
That meant the established teams often had a shootout between themselves for top spot in the group – giving them a more favourable tie in the next round – while lower-ranked sides struggled to progress.
It felt like there was more jeopardy this time around but it is a familiar group of heavyweights in the quarter-finals, with debutants United the exception.
Tim Stillman, a lifelong Arsenal fan and writer for Arseblog news, told BBC Sport it has felt like a “more serene” campaign for his side this season and that the new format “protects bigger clubs against jeopardy”.
“The head-to-head games really defined the group stages in previous seasons. Losing to Bayern Munich last year created a lot of tension and drama that maybe wasn’t there in the new league phase format,” he added.
“Arsenal would have had to have not only lost the two games against teams from seeded pot two – which they did – but to have lost twice against lower-ranked teams from pot three or four too. It’s not very likely.
“If you slightly mess up the league phase, like Arsenal did, you go into the play-offs and you’ll most likely get a winnable tie.”
Boss Slegers added that Arsenal were “only one story” and you would need to see how this style “works over time” in terms of whether it favours top clubs.
Image source, Getty ImagesChelsea have come unstuck against Barcelona in four of the past five seasons
Despite format change debates, one thing English clubs have undoubtedly shown is that they are among Europe’s elite.
Arsenal are still the only club from these shores to win the competition, doing so twice, but only in 2023-24, they failed to progress from the qualifying rounds.
They bounced back last season, playing 15 matches en route to the final where they stunned Barcelona to take the title.
They did not suddenly become winners overnight – they had been capable for a while but had not shown it consistently.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are serial semi-finalists having been in the past three, and were runners-up in 2021.
“We have a very strong league and we have been trying to get to that point where we don’t just have one team representing us in the latter stages,” former England midfielder Fara Williams mentioned on Disney+.
“The fact we have three teams in the quarter-finals shows the growth of the league and that when you invest, this is what can happen.”
Current WSL leaders Manchester City have found the Champions League tough previously, knocked out in qualifying in 2022 and 2023 – and they have not progressed beyond the quarter-finals since 2018.
But United have found a way to break through and their strong defensive record includes eight clean sheets from 12 matches.
They will fancy their chances against Bayern Munich next while England are guaranteed to have at least one representative in the semi-finals with one of Chelsea or Arsenal progressing.
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed
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