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Arsenal vs. Atletico: Head-to-head record and past meetings

Arsenal can extend an all-time European record and claim a momentous Champions League win when they welcome Atletico Madrid to the Emirates for Tuesday's league-phase contest.

The Gunners have won each of their last six UCL games against Spanish sides - a feat no other team has managed before - and their next triumph in the competition will be their 100th in the tournament proper.

Mikel Arteta has overseen 2-0 victories over Athletic Bilbao and Olympiacos so far, while Diego Simeone's Atletico pummelled Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 after a painful 3-2 defeat to Liverpool first up.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 2

Arsenal wins: 0

Draws: 1

Atletico Madrid wins: 1

Meeting in the Champions League for the first time in the 2025-26 season, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid's only previous competitive battles came in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 Europa League, which proved to be Arsene Wenger's final European hurrah.

The Frenchman's last bid to lead Arsenal to a major piece of continental silverware ended at the hands of Diego Simeone, whose men drew 1-1 at the Emirates in the first leg before advancing to the final with a 1-0 home win in the return fixture.

Following an hour of goalless action at the Emirates in the opening game, Alexandre Lacazette nodded in a Jack Wilshere cross to give the Gunners the lead, but Antoine Griezmann netted a pivotal equaliser for Atletico in the 82nd minute.

Reconvening at the Wanda Metropolitano a week later, Arsenal's hopes of a momentous Madrid win suffered a massive blow just 12 minutes in, as critical defender Laurent Koscielny sustained a severe Achilles injury that would rule him out of that year's World Cup triumph with France.

Atletico took full advantage, as Diego Costa - a perpetual nemesis of Arsenal's during his time with Chelsea - netted the game's only goal on the stroke of half time to seal a 2-1 aggregate win for the Spanish side, who would go on to defeat Marseille in the final.

The two semi-finalists would do battle again just a few months later in a pre-season friendly, where Unai Emery's Arsenal and Simeone's Atletico played out a 1-1 draw in Singapore before the La Liga side triumphed 3-1 on penalties.

Nine years before, Atletico visited North London for the 2009 edition of the Emirates Cup, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat thanks to a pair of late goals from Andrey Arshavin either side of German Pacheco's equaliser.

Last two meetings

May 03, 2018: Atletico Madrid 1-0 Arsenal (Europa League)

Apr 26, 2018: Arsenal 1-1 Atletico Madrid (Europa League)