Arsenal have dream five-game Bukayo Saka Champions League scenario as Mikel Arteta boost imminent

There may well be over two-and-a-half months left of Premier League football with 11 matches to play but Arsenal have their sights elsewhere. All but through in the Champions League to the quarter-finals, Mikel Arteta's side only have meaningful fixtures until April 16, for now.

That can extend towards the end of April and then the start of May. If all goes well, Arsenal will play in the last game of the European season on May 31: The Champions League final.

With the domestic title race running out of road early following a defeat and a draw earlier this month whilst Liverpool show no signs of slowing down, Arsenal's priorities are clear. Arteta won't and can't admit it publicly but he has all his eggs in the Champions League basket now.

No FA Cup or Carabao Cup progression means that it is Champions League or bust. The good news is that a quarter-final spot is sewn up. PSV Eindhoven would have to produce the most unlikely victory, perhaps ever, to get through at the Emirates Stadium next week. Realistically they enter knowing it is about damage limitation.

Matches against Manchester United and Chelsea to come are still important, and Arsenal won't want to drift into the top four/five scrap by any means, but they should be able to coast through to a second-place finish, concentrating on the real prize left. In that sense, Arsenal's season really boils down to however far they no go in Europe.

They can pencil in for a trip to Madrid in the last eight, where they will play one of Atletico or Real. Unsurprisingly, a large wave of supporters have already booked hotels and flights out before they go up in price. Some may well have done the same for Munich and the final, but that is much further down the line.

Arsenal know that they will likely not be the favourite in the next round regardless. Atletico are part of a three-way title fight in Spain and have proven to be determined, stubborn, and consistent opposition at this level for well over a decade. Real are just as inevitable and dangerous as ever and both have serious pedigree in this competition that outstrips Arsenal.

Arteta knows that he should be able to welcome back Bukayo Saka for the quarter-finals, though. He has continued a lengthy recovery process since December and is expected to be back in the mix after the international break.

Saka will need time to get back to full speed but his season has to be geared around hitting his peak in the remaining Champions League games. That may only be the two legs of the quarter-finals or it could be as many as five matches all the way to the final.

If Arsenal are to get that far then they know they will need the individual stardust of Saka, especially without an orthodox striker available. Premier League minutes will therefore have a big part to play in getting him back up to speed after nearly four months out.

However, Saka can focus entirely on hitting the ground running in Europe. He can boil down his goals for the season to the rolling Champions League match clock. First it is two games, then four, then five. The rest is noise and a free hit to find sharpness and form.

If Saka can get himself going in this way then Arsenal will be much improved for it. It may well be their only hope of extending meaningful matches beyond early April.

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