football.london has run a simulation of the Champions League league phase draw to see who Arsenal could face in this year's competition
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta will be aiming to go one step further in the UEFA Champions League next season
Arsenal are hoping to secure Champions League glory(Image: FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)
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The Champions League 2026/27 league phase draw is right around the corner and Arsenal fans are desperate to find out who they will face this season.
The Gunners reached last season’s final in Budapest before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. Mikel Arteta’s men will fight tooth and nail to put that right as the north Londoners look to become European champions for the first time in their history in May 2027.
They will find out who they face on Thursday ahead of the third season of the new Champions League format. The 36 teams involved have been split into four pots of nine and they will each be paired with two teams from every pot to determine their eight fixtures.
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When a club is paired with two teams from a pot, one game will be at home and the other will be away. Teams from the same country cannot be drawn against each other and a club cannot face more than two opponents from the same association.
The draw is conducted by a supercomputer which automatically selects eight opponents with the touch of a button. Ahead of Thursday’s official draw, football.london has simulated it with an online tool to get an idea of what the English champions’ European fixture list could look like, with tantalising results.
Based on our simulation, the Gunners could begin their Champions League campaign by hosting Real Madrid in a repeat of the tie two seasons ago which saw them famously beat Los Blancos 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the quarter-finals. Vinicius Junior would surely receive a hostile reception in N5 after he turned down a move to north London earlier this summer in favour of signing a new deal at the Bernabeu.
head coach Mikel Arteta of Arsenal and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid shake hands during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain
Vinicius Junior rejected Arsenal this summer(Image: 2025 DeFodi Images)
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Arteta’s men will also take a trip to the Metropolitano Stadium in Spain to face Atletico Madrid, where Diego Simeone will be desperate to exact revenge after Arsenal knocked his side out of the semi-finals last term. Whether Julian Alvarez will wear the red and white of Arsenal or Atleti remains to be seen as the Gunners continue to be linked with the Argentine striker.
From Pot 2, Arsenal’s home clash with Porto is a repeat of their round of 16 second-leg meeting in 2024, when the Gunners scraped through on penalties. A homecoming for new signing Christos Tzolis also beckons, with our simulator setting up an away trip to Belgian champions Club Brugge.
Pot 3 was no better in terms of drawing easier games, with a home fixture against RB Leipzig and an away trip to Napoli providing a stern test for Arteta’s men. The two sides finished last season third and second in their respective domestic leagues.
Finally, Pot 4 presented opponents who will be progressing or have already progressed via the qualifying play-offs. One of Slovan Bratislava or Celje will be eager to leave their mark on the prestigious competition, as will Sabah FK.
Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid controls the ball against Gabriel of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Atletico de Madrid at Arsenal Stadium on May 5, 2026 in London, England
Julian Alvarez might be an Arsenal player by the time the two sides face(Image: Getty Images)
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Simulated Champions League league phase draw in full:
Real Madrid (H)
Atletico Madrid (A)
Porto (H)
Club Brugge (A)
RB Leipzig (H)
Napoli (A)
Slovan Bratislava/Celje (H)
Sabah FK (A)