Arsenal has now been drawn against Real Madrid and Barcelona, among others, in the league phase of the Champions League this season.
The Gunners reached the semi-final of the competition last season and have continued to strengthen their squad in pursuit of new heights.
Last term, they progressed to the semi-finals in two competitions and finished second in the Premier League. Could this be the season they finally secure the Champions League?
Mikel Arteta is guiding a determined group of players who have been further reinforced by the arrival of new signings into their squad.
The men at the Emirates are confident they now possess greater quality to compete strongly in different tournaments, and they will be aiming to ensure they win the UCL this time.
Before the draw, they were placed in pot two alongside Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt and Club Brugge.
This meant they would avoid at least three clubs from pot one because they are all English sides, and the Gunners have now been drawn against
Bayern Munich – Home
Inter Milan – Away
Atletico Madrid – Home
Club Brugge – Away
Olympiacos – Home
Slavia Prague – Away
Kairat Almaty – Home
Athletic Bilbao – Away
They remain one of the favourites, and they have the squad to defeat the top clubs on the continent and win the competition.
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A very good draw and a chance to show Bayern Munich how we’ve progressed since those two humiliating 5 – 1 defeats.
Also, let’s make it clear who finished 3rd and 4th last season in the CL.
Ken, Bayern Munchen and Atletico Madrid at home are advantages; however Inter Milan away has previously proven a “banana skin”.
We just have to use a special away kit that night. 🍌
Not a bad draw, especially having listened to the other draws of the English teams, but I don’t understand the first sentence of the above article saying we have been drawn against RM and Barca this season, but according to the draw, we haven’t, what am I missing.
I don’t know either. We haven’t played F C Barcelona, at least, for a long time.
GB,
Maybe they were thinking of our Women last season. 😂🤷♂️👍
Same, it made me think that the league phase comes after whatever draw this phase was for
A mix of, on paper, tougher sides and not so tough sides. I think we should expect Arsenal to progress from this stage at least reasonably comfortably.
Inter away again! They were our only blot last season. I hope it’s different this time around
I like this draw. We won’t find out till Saturday the Prem matches either side, that can change the picture a bit. But Arsenal draw certainly easier than Liverpools, All Liverpools away games have jeopardy on them. Spuds easier than Arsenals IMO. I noticed this last year too, lower pots could get something easier looking overall, than the top pot.
If true, then why? Maybe it’s something to do with they are in lower pots, but not somewhere you would like to visit? And just like Arsenal not pot one, other clubs outside Pot 1 down through the pots also worthy of higher pot based on recent seasons form? Maybe you can lucky/unlucky with distance to travel as well? Maybe it’s even “rigged” to create many huge autumn winter matchups to fight off breakaway talk? A mixture of all this results in a tougher sequence for Liverpool than both Arsenal and Spurs imo. It’s little surprise winner of league phase can get eventual champions in last sixteen in this format.
I doubt it’s rigged; UEFA would be destroyed if it was – and evidence leaked out (it’s what the remaining couple of clubs still interested in a Super league would be praying for).
I thought last season’s inaugural competition (in the new format) was a little odd in that the eventual winners, PSG, were so poor in the opening league phase, getting though only in their last few matches. There were calls in the French media for their coach’s head then which, fortunately for him and PSG later on, remained on his shoulders.
I’ll accept no more excuses from Mikel Arteta this season. This is the season we should go all out to win at least the Premier League, and perhaps FA cup and seriously pursue the Champions League too.
I do not want the idea of showing Odegaard respect when he’s not performing, let him be on the bench, and play those who are ready to fight for the team.
Do not make the mistake of selling Gabriel Jesus this season, he’s our Secret underrated weapon. Y’all will remember this comment later this season.
Goodluck to the Arsenal!!!
@LtCoachLaw
Does Arteta know that you won’t accept any more excuses from him? I suggest you tell him. He has the right to know.
I would suggest it is easier to Fix the computer output than messing with balls drawn from the pots.
I do not get the first sentence of the article? But leaving that odd sentence aside. Its a pretty friendly draw and one we should be up to.
Reggie,
GB said the same. And I responded, maybe they were thinking of our Women last season. 😂👍
You may be right big D but I for the life of me couldn’t fathom it out🤔
Reggie,
What’s going on, the other day in a post Moon Girl referred to me as Deadly Derek.
And now you’re calling me big D.
Anyone else got a nick name for me, I know this is dangerous ground to tread. But I’m game, keep it clean now. 😂🤣👍
Worse nicknames than big D that’s for sure 😉
Dan Kit,
Fair point, I suppose it could be double D. 😂👍
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Could be worse, like little d. Some call me bruised for short.
Bruised Banana,
Likewise with your comment.👍
I don’t know if you know this but Derek means “ruler of people” or “leader of tribes” maybe it should be King D😂
Reggie,
We’re in serious trouble if I’m the “ruler of the people” or “leader of the tribes”. We’re doomed scotty, we’re doomed.😂🤷♂️👍
King D, more like Burger King.😂👍
Lots of laughs. French calling for the managers head has such different connotations over there!
I don’t really believe it’s rigged, but exactly what they sought from the new format was mouth watering match ups throughout the tournament, not just in latter stages – and in past not even late on if big went out to smaller so never got to mouthwatering big clash. And it’s exactly what they now got, as they arrange the fixture lists themselves to come out Saturday to create mouthwatering clash on every game night. So not rigged, but still commercially giving them exactly what they need.
This new format is hundreds times harder for top pot seeds than the old format was. For example looking at the fixtures, Chelsea’s are horrible considering seeding it will be interesting to see how they navigate it.
They have to travel a long way for one fixture. My Daddy says – and he will know because he’s a businessman – they don’t use police dogs in that country, they use police goats, goats trained to quickly eat whatever they get set upon. So the Chelsea Ultra’s better behave themselves or some will get badly eaten.
The fact that we have home games against BM and AM is pleasing and overall the draw could have been tougher.
I believe that we have done a great job with our signings this summer window but again I would have pushed for Arda Guler instead of Rodrigo and that’s before Xabi took over the job because he was just lingering away on the bench but now he’s starting and we’ve got no chance of getting him but most of our signings have been good
Odegaard needs to improve drastically over his performances the past couple seasons
Matchday 1 against BM will be sandwiched between 2 home games against Forest and City115.
Matchday 2 against Inter will be after Newcastle away and before the Hammers at home.
Matchday 3 against AM will be between Fulham away and CP at home
The BM game will be not be easy to manage between Forest and City115 but at least all three will be at home and just after the international break.
It seems like an incredibly good draw for us to end up in one of those top spots in the league phase. Famous last words.
No. I think that’s pot order. The actual fixtures are being designed and released on Saturday.
Assuming you’re correct, I apologize for jumping to conclusions hoping for what would be an incredibly good draw even down to the timing of the fixtures. The match day periods (Sept 16-18, etc) will not change I do not believe. Thanks for the information and input.
You are still a “top Banana” because you are absolutely right keen to know how they fit into our prem week, I am too How fixtures especially away trips fit into everyone’s prem fixtures can be quite important how they could impact the prem match’s that week. Not just ours but our opponents. Send Chelsea half way round world and back just before playing us would be nice.
Thanks. Can’t agree more with the Chelsea note! Loved it! 🤣
Bookies should treat us as in with a real chance, I think because of our defensive ability will back up any goals we score in tough knockout match ups, also the quality depth we have built this summer. We have been nearly there last couple of years despite carring a lot of injuries and lack of form and fitness into later stages last season.
I don’t think the European football is at all close to prem football at this time. Especially defensively. Take goal scorers out of Germany or Spain and put in Prem, they can find it lot harder against Prem defences, it means people like Sesko and Goes build reputations against weaker defences. Mind you Grimsby defence was far too much for Sesko. Wet night being pummelled with haddock and he didn’t look too good. Amorim in world of his own playing with his tactics board whilst the night carried on around him was very funny. If you think Palace will have good season because they have good manager, that manager will be at Man Utd soon. They turn to him not just prem proven but 3 at the back.
Absolutely with respect to the importance of our excellent defence. The last couple of years I remember being scoffed at by some on here for just floating the idea that because of our defence you couldn’t write us off in the UCL. Were they really throwing haddock? Too funny. From what I’ve seen and read of Amorim, he seem to be a disciplinarian both on and off the pitch who takes it too far with the players of today. To be successful, I believe you have to earn respect rather than demand it. He doesn’t seem to have the ideas to move them forward but we’ll see how far all that spending takes them this time (yesterday it wasn’t above League Two 🤣)
But you were wrong mate
Those who said Arsenal won’t win the CL were correct because ….we didn’t win CL
As I’ve stated on more than one occasion that I will not enter into one of your contentious debates with you on any topic including this one. I would reply to anyone else but you. I’ll ask you once again. Please do not reply directly to my comments and I will not reply directly to yours. You are the only person on JA whom I would request this of. Please allow me to enjoy the JA which you are so much a part of without interacting with you or vice versa. It is a simple request. Thank you in advance.
Moon Girl,
Maybe they’ll unleash some of those goats you referred to, during the game. 😂👍
Splendid
Sorry Gunsmoke, I may be only partially correct. See Moon Girl’s post above.
Sure am in agreement with Moon Girl, this makes for an interesting competition.
If it was rigged , we would have been acuse of having an hand in it🙂
Its a fair draw and favorable draw and its one in which we’ll see how far we’ve come by competing against the great Bayern Munich. We owe them a hiding, an almighty hiding.
Iv been salty and held a grudge over the arsenal versus Bayern Munich fixture ever since their former Brazilian striker ELBA, remember him?; He forecast the score and announced it in all the newspapers they were going to beat us in a champions league fixture and they turned us over… they beat us 1 – 0 and it was ELBA alone who inflicted the damage. We need to do a lot better whenever we play them, its time we put in a convincing win.
This fixture will determine how good we really are.
I think that with this type of round robin competition it should be ok to draw teams from the same country in the group stage, otherwise along with seeding, some form of gerrymandering will be part of the course. Thus the , ” it’s been rigged” outcries. Having said that, I think we have bey blessed with the draw. Bayern Munich and Inter being the most challenging, buyI believe that we needn’t fear them. Old man Inter in particular will still be shell shocked from last season’s final capitulation and badly in need of rejuvenation.
Last season aside our form in Europe is poor, only one final appearance since 2006 so I’m not entirely convinced, Bayern, Inter and Madrid home or away is always gonna be tough and we could easily drop points in all of those games, the rest we should win but you never know, Arsenal have let me down too many times for me to be over-confident about our chances in Europe.
Dave, I hope no Arsenal fan is overconfident regarding certain Champions League success. Even Wegener’s best teams with one exception failed miserably to even make a final. However with this strong squad and no really exceptional opponents , there are reasons to be positive.