Rio Ferdinand makes shock Arsenal v PSG prediction for Champions League final | OneFootball

Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal are going to beat Paris Saint-Germain and claim a historic Premier League, Champions League double.

The Gunners will take on the Champions League holders in their last game of the season at the end of this month and they may have already sewn up their first Premier League title in over two decades as they sit five points clear at the top of the table with two games to play, albeit with second-placed Manchester City having a game in hand.

Arsenal will head into the Champions League final as underdogs and will likely have their backs against the wall for much of the game, but Ferdinand has tipped Mikel Arteta’s side to pull off a shock result.

“I said Arsenal would win the league this year and I think Arsenal will win the league,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.

“And I now think that Arsenal are going to win the Champions League, guys.

“You know why? Let me explain myself. PSG are the better team, 100 per cent. Right now, they’ve got the team, they’re the better footballing team, better style of play, they’re the best team on the planet to watch and their manager is the best right now at this point.

“But they look uncomfortable at set-pieces. Even Bayern Munich, who aren’t great at set-pieces, they made them look uncomfortable and I’ve seen it many times this season.”

“Arsenal play a lot of football and a lot of it is driven to set-pieces. And I think Arsenal fans would agree with that.

“They’re the best team in the Premier League at set-pieces and if they get set-pieces and free-kicks and corners, they are going to cause absolute carnage against that small PSG team.

“Physically, at set-pieces, PSG can not compete with Arsenal and if Arsenal get any type of possession and any type of free-kicks around the box, or even the halfway line, they’re going to cause damage.”

Stricter Champions League refs

On the suggestion that Champions League referees have been more strict than their Premier League counterparts from set pieces, Ferdinand replied: “Yeah, but Bayern didn’t have to be aggressive.

“You just have to make good runs and they’ve got athletic, big players, Arsenal, who know how to get on the end of things.

“I just think they’re going to cause problems and I think in the stadium you’ll feel an air and an energy of uncertainty from PSG.

“PSG are absolutely certain and confident in every facet of their game bar set-pieces. And that’s where Arsenal are strong.

“It leads me to believe that there is hope for Arsenal. Like I said, I’ll reiterate, as a football team and the way they play, there’s not a comparison for me right now, at this moment in time.

“But there’s more to football than just style of play and set-pieces have to be considered hugely and I think Arsenal are a massive threat to this PSG team.”