Manchester City do just enough to reach play-offs - The Gunners were also winners, 2-1 in Girona, to finish third in the new-look group phase.

Manchester City scraped into the Champions League play-offs and Liverpool finished at the summit despite losing to PSV Eindhoven. Aston Villa sank Celtic to finish in the top eight and go straight through to the last 16, but Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the target of a bid by Arsenal.

THE January transfer window is heating up with some MAJOR moves in the pipeline as Deadline Day quickly approaches. Arsenal are reportedly readying their second bid for Aston Villa’s England

Before Arsenal’s win over Girona, reports broke that the club had seen a £60million bid for Ollie Watkins rejected. It comes in the aftermath of Arteta admitting his side need a new striker, but they he refused to comment on the matter.

Liverpool will aim to end the Champions League group stage with a 100 per cent record when they visit PSV Eindhoven tonight. The Merseysiders’ dominance in the Premier League has been matched in Europe with Liverpool top of the table having won all seven of their games.

Liverpool’s 100 per cent record in the Champions League ended as it lost 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday but Arne Slot’s side still finished top of the group stage.

Whew! It’s the last round of the league phase of the Champions League! To prevent teams from tanking to gain some competitive advantage, all 18 matches are play

Manchester City stayed in the Champions League, barely. Paris Saint-Germain saved its elite status in style. Both had risked embarrassing exits before winning on Wednesday, grateful to be among the 24 teams in the knockout stage.

There were storylines across all 18 simultaneous kick-offs – not to mention 64 goals in total – but Aston Villa and Lille securing automatic qualification for the round of 16, as well as Manchester City coming from the elimination zone to reach the knockout phase play-offs, were among the headlines. UEFA.com rounds up all the action.

So, the Champions League is down to 24 teams and yes, giants like Man City and Paris Saint-Germain made it through in the end. So let's review the league phase, best XI and project who's winning it all.

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton takes on Squid guitarist Anton Pearson with his predictions for this weekend's Premier League fixtures.

Arsenal deals & transfers January 2025Arsenal’s Champions League run isn’t just about glory—it’s also about the money!With a lucrative windfall secured after finishing in the top eight, how