For the first time in seven years, Champions League football returns to the Emirates. Ahead of tonight’s group stage draw, we are taking a look at what Arsenal’s Champions League pot may mean in terms of potential opponents.
Arsenal Champions League Pot
Arsenal were somewhat fortunate to find themselves placed in pot two for the draw, considering their UEFA coefficient stands at a relatively low 76.000.
Largely poor results in the Europa League, coupled with a seven-year hiatus from Europe’s elite club competition should probably have seen them put in pot three, but with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus, Ajax, Villarreal and Eintracht Frankfurt all failing to qualify, the may now benefit from a more favourable draw.
They join both Madrid teams, fellow Premier League side Manchester United, as well as, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Porto and last year’s runners-up Inter Milan in pot two.
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Who Could Arsenal Face in Champions League Group Stage?
With the Gunners unable to be drawn with another English team, Manchester City and Newcastle are the only sides who can be ruled out as group stage opponents.
Below we have listed each of the remaining three pots after the final six teams were confirmed in this week’s final qualifying round.
Pot 1: Manchester City, Sevilla, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Paris-Saint Germain, Benfica, Feyenoord, Napoli.
Pot 3: Red Star Belgrade, Shakhtar Donetsk, Red Bull Salzburg, AC Milan, Lazio, Braga, Copenhagen, PSV.
Pot 4: Newcastle, Union Berlin, Lens, Young Boys, Celtic, Real Sociedad, Antwerp, Galatasaray.
Many Arsenal fans have already taken to social media to express their fears over drawing Bayern Munich, with whom they shared several Champions League ties with before their recent failures to qualify. Across the last three meetings between the two, the aggregate score is 15-3.
Add to that the arrival of Harry Kane, who has long been the scourge of the Gunners after leaving Tottenham as the all-time record goalscorer in North London derbies.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain were in their most recent group in 2016 and the French champions, who are in pot one, could well be again.
When Does The Champions League Group Stage Start?
- Round 1: September 19th/20th, 2023
- Round 2: October 3rd/4th, 2023
- Round 3: October 24th/25th, 2023
- Round 4: November 7th/8th, 2023
- Round 5: November 28th/29th, 2023
- Round 6: December 12th/13th, 2023
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