The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League is going to be a litmus test for English clubs as two of them, Chelsea and Manchester City have already been beaten in the round of 16 and only Arsenal have crossed the hurdle to reach the last eight.
While Arsenal clinically dismantled Bayer Leverkusen to secure their quarter-final berth, City and Chelsea crashed out by losing with heavy margins against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Now, all of the Premier League and England’s hopes will be put on the shoulders of Arne Slot and Eddie Howe as their teams Liverpool and Newcastle will clash against Galatasaray and Barcelona at Anfield and Camp Nou respectively.
The Fallen Giants: City and Chelsea Out
Manchester City’s European dreams ended in heartbreak at the Etihad yesterday. After a bruising 3-0 first-leg defeat in Madrid, City fell 5-1 on aggregate to Real Madrid. Vinicius Junior scored twice in a 2-1 win on the night, while City played most of the match with 10 men after Bernardo Silva’s early red card.
Chelsea’s exit was even more grim. An 8-2 aggregate humiliation by PSG—capped by a 3-0 loss at Stamford Bridge—marked the Blues’ worst-ever European defeat. Conversely, Arsenal progressed 3-1 on aggregate after Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scored in a 2-0 home win over Leverkusen.
Liverpool’s Anfield Rescue Mission
Liverpool face a daunting challenge against Galatasaray. The Reds suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Istanbul, with Mario Lemina scoring the decider.
Current Aggregate: 0–1 (Galatasaray lead)
The Mission: Liverpool must win by two clear goals to progress in 90 minutes. A 1-0 win for the Reds would trigger extra time.
Newcastle’s Catalan Climb
The Magpies are in a winner-takes-all scenario at Camp Nou. After a 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park—where Lamine Yamal’s 96th-minute penalty canceled out Harvey Barnes’ opener—the tie was deadlocked.
Current Aggregate: 1–1
The Mission: Newcastle must win outright. Any draw after 90 minutes leads to extra time and potentially penalties.