UEFA are discussing changes to Champions League knockout games that could impact Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in years to come.

The Champions League has undergone a huge change in the last year, with the 2024/25 campaign the first with an expanded tournament involving 36 teams. Not only were more teams involved than ever before this year, but the group stages were dispensed with, in favour of a league phase.

Every team this year was drawn against eight other teams, with four matches at home and four matches away, with all 36 teams involved in the same league. The top eight went through to the last 16, with the teams from ninth to 24th taking part in a play-off round to find the other eight to reach the last 16.

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Now, having made the tournament bigger and better, UEFA are looking at making the matches in the knockout rounds potentially shorter.

According to the Guardian, discussions are under way to scrap extra-time in the knockout matches in favour of going straight to a penalty shootout, so as to try and reduce the amount of minutes played during the season by the world's top stars.

Any change to the rules would have to be ratified by UEFA’s executive committee, whose last major change to club competition ties came when the away goals rule was removed in 2021.

Any plans to scrap extra-time would be unlikely to come in until at least 2027, when the current round of broadcast rights comes to an end. The same rule change would apply to UEFA's other competitions - the Europa League and the Conference League.

Arsenal are in the Champions League this season and are well set to qualify for next season too, with Tottenham in the Europa League and Chelsea in the Conference League this year. Any changes would have a massive impact on all three clubs moving forward.