Arsenal Look to Champions League to Salvage Season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hoping the glamour of the Champions League can galvanise his injury-ravaged squad from their English Premier League funk.

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The Gunners' dream of a first league title in 21 years appears over after falling 13 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool.

Conquering Europe for the first time now appears their only chance of ending a five-year trophy drought, and a last-16 clash with PSV Eindhoven could buy Arteta time to get some of his key attackers back.

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have been ruled out for the rest of the season with serious hamstring and knee injuries respectively. But Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could return for the quarter-finals in April, should Arsenal progress.

The absence of all four forwards has been keenly felt as Arsenal failed to score in their last two Premier League games against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest to all but end their title aspirations.

Midfielder Mikel Merino has deputised as a makeshift striker, while Arteta has been forced to rely on teenager Ethan Nwaneri in Saka's normal wide-right role.