Champions League draw: Arsenal's possible league stage opponents

Arsenal head into the 2025–26 campaign with Champions League ambition once again. For Mikel Arteta, this season represents a pivotal moment as pressure is mounting on the Spaniard to deliver silverware.

With heavy investment in the summer bringing Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arizzisabalaga all to north London, Arteta has the squad depth to compete on all fronts.

Since returning to the Champions League two seasons ago, the Gunners have shown genuine progress, finishing third in last season’s league phase and reaching the semi-finals before falling to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. Yet the ultimate prize, lifting the Champions League trophy, remains elusive.

On Thursday, Arsenal will learn their route in the new-look league phase, and with the pots now confirmed, the potential for some early blockbuster clashes is high.

Which Pot Are Arsenal In?

Arsenal will be seeded in Pot 2, due to their UEFA coefficient ranking. That means they could face a more treacherous path, as Pot 1 is stacked with European heavyweights.

Despite finishing ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea in the Premier League last term, Arsenal find themselves below both in UEFA’s rankings due to their recent successes. Still, their record in Europe last year suggests they’ll back themselves against anyone as they beat PSG in the league phase and knocked out Real Madrid.

Under the format, Arsenal will face two opponents from each pot: one home, one away, but cannot be drawn against another Premier League club. That rules out Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the league phase.

Potential Opponents

Pot 1: PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona

Arsenal know several of these sides well. They eliminated Real Madrid in last season’s quarterfinals and beat PSG in the league phase. But Bayern and Barcelona remain daunting opponents — clubs with painful history for the Gunners.

Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt (Benfica & Club Brugge both to play their second legs tonight)

A group of dangerous sides. Atlético stand out as a stern challenge, while Arsenal drew with Atalanta last term.

Pot 3: PSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Marseille, Bodo/Glimt

Plenty of storylines here. Gyokeres could face his old side Sporting, while a clash with Marseille would reunite Arsenal with former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Napoli, Serie A champions, would provide another test of Arsenal’s credentials.

Pot 4: Galatasaray, Union Saint-Gilloise, Athletic Club, Monaco, Pafos, Kairat (FC Copenhagen & Qarabag both to play their second legs tonight)

Less glamorous names, but by no means easy, with Galatasaray, Monaco and Athletic Bilbao especially capable of making life difficult. An away trip to Kairat in Kazakhstan midweek would also rather be avoided so it did not conflict with the domestic Premier League campaign with the travel.

Arsenal’s Toughest Draw

The nightmare draw would put Arsenal against PSG and Real Madrid from Pot 1, Atlético Madrid from Pot 2, and Napoli from Pot 3. That would provide a gauntlet of high-pressure fixtures and tough test to finish in the top 8.

Still, the flip side is that Arsenal no longer look like underdogs in Europe. Wins over Madrid and PSG last season proved their growth, while revenge missions against Bayern or Barcelona would add extra belief.

A Defining Season for Arteta

With back-to-back Champions League campaigns under their belt and a squad strengthened by major summer reinforcements, Arsenal enter this season with as much belief as they’ve had in nearly two decades.

Arteta’s men know they can mix with Europe’s elite — but if they want to take the next step, the path to Budapest in May will begin with the names drawn out of the pots this week.