Arsenal UEFA Champions League
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Arsenal face a demanding campaign in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League after being handed a challenging set of fixtures in Thursday’s draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
The Gunners, placed in Pot 2 based on their UEFA club coefficient, will take on Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Kairat Almaty, Athletic Bilbao, and one opponent yet to be confirmed under the competition’s new 36-team Swiss-system format.
Among the headline clashes, Mikel Arteta’s side will host Inter Milan at the Emirates Stadium and travel to face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, two fixtures that could prove decisive in Arsenal’s bid to finish inside the top eight and secure direct passage to the round of 16.
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Arsenal will also meet Olympiacos and Slavia Prague away from home, while Club Brugge travel to north London. From Pot 4, the Gunners will face Athletic Bilbao in Spain and host Champions League debutants Kairat Almaty, who make history as the first club from Kazakhstan to feature in the league phase.
🚨BREAKING: Arsenal will face the following teams in the league phase of the new UEFA Champions League for the 2025/26 season.
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich (h)
🇮🇹 Inter Milan (a)
🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid (h)
🇧🇪 Club Brugge (a)
🇬🇷 Olympiacos (h)
🇨🇿 Slavia Prague (a)
🇰🇿 Kairat Almaty (h)
🇪🇸… pic.twitter.com/XXzvbclKmL
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) August 28, 2025
Under the revamped format, each team will play eight fixtures, four at home and four away against opponents from each of the four seeding pots. Matches will be staged between September 16–18, 2025, and January 28, 2026, with UEFA confirming the full schedule, including dates and kick-off times, on August 30.
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The top eight sides in the overall table will advance directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th will contest a two-legged playoff to reach the knockout stages.
Arsenal impressed in last season’s inaugural league phase, finishing third with 19 points after six wins, one draw, and a single defeat, conceding just three goals. However, injuries to Kai Havertz, set to undergo minor knee surgery and Gabriel Jesus, still recovering from an ACL tear, may test squad depth at the start of the campaign.
Arteta will hope summer signing Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres, and Eberechi Eze can provide an extra spark as Arsenal look to navigate a demanding fixture list and build on last season’s strong showing in Europe.
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