UEFA confirm major Champions League rule change that impacts Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham

The e rules will be changed for the 2025/26 season that will give home advantage to the best teams from the League Phase in the knockout stages.

This season, the top eight teams in the League Phase were guaranteed to play the second leg of their round of 16 at home as a reward for their performance. But in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, their place in the League Phase did not count which means there was an open draw.

According to , UEFA are believed to have agreed that the new rule will come into play for next season's edition of the trophy during a committee meeting ahead of Saturday's final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.

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The competition changed this season with an expanded format which meant the top eight teams qualified for the last 16 automatically, the teams from ninth to 24th facing off in a play-off and the remaining teams being knocked out.

Despite finishing lower than their respective opponents, A They both went on to qualify for the final after wins in the second-leg.

Next season, teams who finished highest will play the second leg at home. It means that the Gunners would have played Real Madrid and PSG at the Emirates Stadium in the second leg of their ties, if the rule was in place for this year.

The 2025/26 regulations have already been published but modifications can still be made if approved by the Executive Committee. Approval will be confirmed via a virtual meeting, which must be held no later than the draw of the League Phase on August 28.

The report claims that discussions had been held about giving higher-ranked teams the option of playing home or away in the second leg, but it was decided to grant the better teams the home leg in the second leg.

New rules mean Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham will be impacted when they enter the competition at the start of next season.