Granit Xhaka believes the Premier League’s top six should all be in the Champions League 

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka believes all of the Premier League’s top six should be in the Champions League. 

Premier League clubs have dominated continental competitions this seasons, with both the Europa League and Champions League finals contested by English clubs for the first time.

Liverpool and Tottenham pulled off sensational comebacks against Barcelona and Ajax during the week to reach Europe’s showpiece event, while Arsenal and Chelsea will play out a London derby in Baku in the Europa League final. 

Xhaka’s Arsenal can only qualify for next year’s tournament by winning the Europa League

The Gunners need to win the Europa League should they hope to be in the Champions League next season, but Xhaka believes all of the current top six are good enough to be in Europe’s premier competition.

‘Every team that can get to a final is strong enough so, we know Chelsea, we play a lot against them,’ he said.

‘Four teams in the final shows everyone what a league the Premier League is and we hope we are ready for the final.

‘You should have to go for the first six from the Premier League into the Champions League, so strong is the league.

‘It is only four teams, four teams in the final now and so we can be proud.’    

Arsenal and Chelsea fans were left feeling short-changed by the decision to allocate both clubs fewer than 12,000 tickets for the Europa League final.

Arsenal face Chelsea in a London derby in Baku on May 29 and Xhaka hopes to make history

Gunners fans were left short changed for the final with only 6,000 tickets allocated per club

Supporters face costs spiraling towards a £1,000 to make the trip 2,500-mile trip to Azerbaijan, but Xhaka says Arsenal’s players can only focus on what they can influence, which would be making history in a European final.   

‘We can’t change anything’ added the Swiss midfielder.

‘It is not our job to say something about this – it is one game, it is a final and the better team win. 

‘I don’t know when we (will) go to Baku but it is one game. It is not about Baku, or we play in Europe or somewhere else.

‘You have to be ready in this 90 minutes and you have to be ready in this moment.

‘I think history is nice – if you can be in the history of this amazing club it is something to make you proud but first we have to win.’