Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink names his four ‘favourites’ to win the Champions League

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has named Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal among his four ‘favourites’ to win the Champions League.

The new Champions League format is well underway with all 36 teams who qualified for the competition playing three games in the elongated league phase.

Aston Villa, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, are the surprise early leaders with three wins from three, including a memorable victory over German giants Bayern Munich.

Second and third place also belong to the Premier League with Liverpool the only other side with a perfect record after three games and Man City currently sitting pretty on seven points.

In this new Champions League format, the top eight teams will automatically progress to the knockout stages, with the next 12 clubs moving into a play-off. The bottom 12 will be eliminated.

As well as Villa, Liverpool and Man City, the top-eight also consists of Monaco, Brest, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon.

European heavyweights Arsenal, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Benfica and Juventus are just outside the automatic qualifying positions while AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig are just a few of the teams languishing in the elimination spots.

‘As well as Manchester City and Real Madrid, I’d put Arsenal and Barcelona in my four favourites to win the Champions League this season,’ ex-Premier League striker and England coach Hasselbaink told BoyleSports, who offer Premier League odds.

‘I might’ve said Bayern Munich but I didn’t like how they played. I think it will be one of those four who lift the trophy. I really think Arsenal will go far.’

Hasselbaink is backing Arsenal for a deep run in Europe despite the club’s recent wobble in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s side have taken just one point from their last three games to slip to fifth in the table, five points behind Man City and seven adrift of Liverpool.

Arsenal were beaten by Newcastle United on Saturday, just a few hours before Manchester City’s long unbeaten Premier League run was ended by Bournemouth.

While both Arsenal and Man City suffered defeats, Liverpool continue their impressive run of form under Arne Slot with a comeback win over Brighton.

There is another round of Champions League fixtures this week, with Liverpool hosting Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City visiting Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon.

Wobbling Arsenal face a tricky trip to Inter Milan while Champions League holders Real Madrid take on AC Milan.

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