Open Extended ReactionsWhen the UEFA Champions League playoff round kicks off this week, there will be only one Premier League team competing. It almost seems like the Champions League is easier for English teams than the Premier League -- and that's because it is. This doesn't mean that Premier League teams can't have tough draws -- Arsenal's was roughly average in difficulty, while Newcastle's was among the five hardest -- but instead it means that, on average, Premier League teams are going to have easier draws than teams from any other big league. But Premier League teams only have easy schedules because they don't have to play other Premier League teams! The Premier League is more physically demanding than the Champions LeagueBefore Newcastle's final league-phase match against PSG, Anthony Gordon was asked about the difference between playing in the Premier League and the Champions League.