MATCH POINT
What do Arsenal need to guarantee qualification to the Champions League Last 16?
Arsenal still have work to do
ARSENAL are among the favourites to advance straight into the Champions League's Last 16.
The Gunners are fifth in the League Phase table with eight points separating them from high flying Liverpool, but Mikel Arteta's men have a game in hand.
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The North Londoners have two more games to go in the revamped first round consisting of 36 teams.
Mikel Arteta's men face Dinamo Zagreb tonight at the Emirates and then visit Girona on January 29.
Arsenal have amassed 13 points from six matches of which they won four and lost only once.
Just one more win from the final two games could send the Premier League giants straight into the Round of 16.
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The teams who finish in the top eight spots automatically qualify for the Last 16.
And those who find themselves between ninth and 24th place will face off in the play-offs to determine the other eight teams that make it to the next round.
Arsenal are currently five points ahead of Dinamo, who are 25th in the Champions League table.
Opta found that in 99 per cent of their simulations, teams who collected 10 points made it into the play-off round, which means Arteta and co might already be guaranteed at least a spot in those.
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Even nine points proved to be enough in 69 per cent of the simulations, which were run 50,000 times.
But Arsenal will want direct qualification for the Last 16.
16 points proved to be enough in 98 per cent of the available scenarios.
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And 15 points were sufficient for eighth place in 73 per cent of the simulations.
On the other hand, 14 points were enough in just 28 per cent of the supercomputer’s simulations.
That means 15 points could be the magic number for Arsenal to avoid two crunch clashes amid their gruelling bid for a first Premier League title since 2004.
That would mean one win from their final two games will likely be enough.
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