Ferdinand Explains Why Arsenal Can Beat Superior PSG in Final Showdown
Rio Ferdinand has gone against expectations by tipping Arsenal to win the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, even though he admits the Ligue 1 side are technically superior.
Ferdinand believes Arsenal will win the Champions League final vs PSG, highlighting set-pieces as the key difference.
Arsenal are preparing for one of the biggest matches in their modern history as they face PSG in the final. After Bukayo Saka’s standout performance helped eliminate Atletico Madrid, Mikel Arteta’s squad are now chasing both European and domestic glory.
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Ferdinand shared his prediction on his Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, showing strong confidence in Arsenal’s winning mentality:
"I said Arsenal would win the league this year and I think Arsenal will win the league," Ferdinand said. "And I now think that Arsenal are going to win the Champions League, guys."
Despite his prediction, Ferdinand openly acknowledged PSG’s superiority in overall football quality, tactical structure, and attacking power. The Parisian side have scored 44 goals on their way to the final, significantly more than Arsenal’s 29.
"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."
However, Ferdinand believes Arsenal can exploit PSG’s weakness in defending set-pieces, which he sees as the decisive factor in the final.
"But they look uncomfortable at set-pieces," Ferdinand explained. "Even Bayern Munich, who aren’t great at set-pieces, they made them look uncomfortable and I’ve seen it many times this season. 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."
Meanwhile, Gary Neville offered a more cautious outlook, arguing PSG have already established themselves as the stronger side over recent seasons.
"PSG are better than them, you can’t get away from that. PSG are a better team than Arsenal right now and they’ve demonstrated that over the last two seasons. It feels like the moment PSG for win it back-to-back and for Luis Enrique to put himself up there with the God-like managers who have done this."
