Jamie Carragher has changed his long-standing view on Arsenal after watching Atletico Madrid get thumped at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
A remarkable second-half display saw the Gunners run out 4-0 winners and cement their status as one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season.
Arsenal great Thierry Henry has confirmed that he views Arsenal, Bayern and holders Paris Saint-Germain as the three teams to beat in Europe this season, and Carragher - who has long dismissed Arsenal's European credentials - has finally agreed.
"Right now I think Arsenal and Bayern are the two most impressive teams I've seen when you look at their performances domestically and what they're doing in the Champions League," Carragher said on CBS Sports.
I’ve said before on this show that I've never had Arsenal down as a Champions League club
"I’ve said before on this show that I've never had Arsenal down as a Champions League club. I know that might sound obvious because they've never won it before but I've always thought there’s something about them that doesn’t connect, they’ve never really gone close.
"Thierry's [Arsenal] team was the best team I ever played against in the Premier League and even that team didn't come close enough to winning the Champions League. It wasn't that team that got to the Champions League final.
"I do look at this team now and see how strong they are defensively. My Liverpool team that won the Champions League [in 2005] were not a great team attacking-wise but we were strong defensively.
"That always gives you a chance, especially when you get to the knockout stages and the two-legged ties. If you're strong defensively you've always got a chance. So, yeah, I see Arsenal as one of the four or five teams that can win this competition."
