To see Arsenal win the Premier League would be amazing, but to see them win the Champions League would be priceless. The question is whether Mikel Arteta’s side will seal themselves an early legacy as the “nearly men” or, hopefully at some point, the “Champions” of Europe – just like Arsenal Women did last season, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the second time in their history.
The past couple of seasons us Gooners have been lucky enough to dream about heralding the Champions League, following Arsenal reaching the semi-finals and bowing out to PSG across both legs 3-1. The North Londoners need to make the most of their prime form and golden opportunity in Europe, and also the Premier League, but that is a story for another time.
Arsenal’s painful record in Europe
The last time Gooners could sing and dance about Champions League glory was… never. Arsenal have never won the Champions League in their approaching 22 seasons of playing in the competition. That is not to say European silverware has never visited Islington, but not in recent years at least.
The men in red and white have lost their last four European finals across the past 30 seasons. In 1995, Stewart Houston, who had taken over from George Graham, failed to stop Spanish side Zaragoza infamously beating his side 2-1 in Paris.
In 2000, with Arsène Wenger in charge, Arsenal lost as favourites to Turkish outfit Galatasaray on penalties after a 120-minute stalemate in the UEFA Cup final. Six years later Wenger reignited a European spark amongst the Arsenal faithful when the North Londoners at last reached the Champions League final.
Before the half-time break, Gooners found themselves in dreamland after Sol Campbell put Arsenal into the lead, but in the final stages of the game Barcelona escaped the jaws of defeat to steal the show, with Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti finding the back of the net in a 2-1 victory.
That heartbreaking day has haunted Arsenal in Europe ever since. To add insult to injury, Wenger’s side were demolished 4-1 by Chelsea in Baku in the 2019 Europa League final.
Time to put history to rest
So when did Arsenal last win in Europe? It was in 1994 when Alan Smith fired the club to glory in the Cup Winners’ Cup final versus Italian side Parma.
It has been far too long since Arsenal lifted a European trophy, and Arteta’s men need to put a stop to that wait soon. Only then can the ghosts of the past finally be laid to rest.
Arsenal’s Champions League fixtures and dates confirmed.
Arsenal kick-off their 2025/26 Champions League campaign on Tuesday 16th September against Athletic Club, at Estadio de San Mamés.
Can we go all the way this season?
Liam Harding
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It’s almost 100 years since we had a back to back league title win (32-33, 33-34, 34-35).
Still down from the lost to the champion, I still believes are will win somthing this year, just too many big ears mug been tossed around for us not to get our hands on one.
Strangely enough, I think our best chance of silverware this year will be the CL. I think sometimes, these can be a bit attritional and with a little luck in the draw we probably stand more of a chance. I suppose a lot will depend on how we are doing in the league.
European football wins are a bonus (luck of the draw etc etc ),hopefully the club puts the league first this is what all these phases talk have been about ,massive money spent 40 players signed and still not a whiff of a trophy.
Apparently though armchair fans do not have a clue about how to be supporters (fans).
Apparently those who differ from your overly anti-Arteta pontifications are “armchair fans” and clueless ones to wit. You are the all-knowing one
I’m not answering for him, but I think he might be refering to supporters who support by paying and actually going to matches.
Personally I do not care for the CL trophy and I do not like weekdays night football at all, but we must win it at least once. We are the only giant remaining not having our name on that trophy.
I actually think we may have a better chance of winning Champions League than Premier League. It’s also luck of the draw
For Liam
One error in your article. The defeat to Chelsea was not Wenger’s team but Emery’s team.
But I agree with the sentiments of the rest of the article.
I saw the 94 Cup winners cup and I did not think we deserved it then as Parma were by far the better side on the day. We rode our luck. The following year we probably deserved it but lost to the Nayeem ball flight in the air that fooled Seaman.
Arteta’s tactics and the last season’s players brought us to UCL semifinal, but we couldn’t defeat PSG because they were so perfect technically and our squad was ravaged by injuries
We’ve got a bigger squad now, so we might be able to go to final this season
.Agree we got a bigger squad on paper, but if they are held back till the 70th minute it makes no sense of having technically gifted played made to play like puppets held back by the unseen strings. You cannot be champions by playing 7 defensive players in a match. At least he should learn from Mou when to park the bus and how to park the bus. Boring football, 1 attempt on goal in 90 minutes are not the hallmarks of champions. Lets be honest. Better still some other club with intent and ambition win it. This is phase 7, new players getting to know the club, players, stadium , fans, washrooms, and London. So after the horror show at Anfield, lets give Mikel time in phase 7, next phase will be 8, at that time AFC will be great!
Arsenal did not play with 7 defensive players. Can’t see what Arteta has to learn from Mourinho at this point. Mourinho’s methods worked in a bygone era but are of limited relevance to current top teams.
If you want some other team to win you are better off going to support them.
I take it you will be doing just that when Arteta leaves .
See there you go again David,
I’ve answered one of your posts earlier today. What a cheap shot it is to encourage some one to go and support another team because you don’t agree with tier opinion.
Disagree with an opinion all you like, but don’t take cheap shots at them in this way. They’ve got every right to say what they like just like you.
I don’t agree with much of what you say, but I’d never tell anyone to support another team, that’s just out of order.
Oh dear me! I get it now. Merino was our CF last season, so you consider him as a CF playing CAM! I stand corrected (as per David) that we played with 6 defensive players, trusting you call a defender a defender. I love the sport and love attending matches where free flowing football is being played, not a bunch of internationals playing like a school team.
Call Mou what you like, that man has touched all silverware that could be won by a club. If his tactics had failed he would not have won the UCL with 2 different teams, EL with Utd and Conf Cup with Roma in 2022, while the 3rd best paid manager in the world is struggling to reach the finals of the Carabao Cup – forget the UCL or EPL. Please support football in general and AFC in particular. KSE supported him with talent only to be wasted on the bench, devalued and gone for a few Euros on deadline day. Which team devalues their own players. Trust me Onana will be transferred for profit next summer despite all his comical errors. Imagine sending Sambi for 1.7M, all true gunners should be holding down their heads in shame with the manager we have. Check the outgoing players of Bournemouth and how much they earned this summer. I have always maintained that Iroala is a better manager than Arteta. I choose what is good for the club and right now Arteta is not. Wake up and smell the coffee pal!
I quite agree with you man. Arteta’s approach towards the players he doesn’t need only devalues them. Even when you don’t need them in your plans going forward, a better manager will still give them game time so as to maintain their marketing values. But Arteta will just banish the player until the value runs down. Any club coming for the player will see him as a liability instead of as an asset because they already know the manager don’t need him.
“Which team devalues their own players”. Man Utd would be the answer. Rashford, Antony, ring any bells ?
I’d be very surprised if they make a profit on Onana, as I can’t see any club paying over £45m for him.
@The reality show…..Sambi was 10 mil, so we made a profit having signed him less than the amount……
Chronicle,
That’s one player. The odd one here and there is hardly impressive is it.
After being the biggest net spenders in this TW, no more excuses of not having the right players or depth of squad. If our sorry excuse of a manager doesn’t win the title or CL, he will be gone and the next manager will have a ready made squad for those major trophies.
I think with Liverpool buying Isak and beating us without Isak coupled with Arteta’s tactics makes them favourites to win the league, another disappointing season for us unfortunately. Hope am very wrong.
@ Koss, I find your type an unnecessary coward. After stating your pessimistic believe of the club season you still try to protect with “I hope an wrong”. Why?.
It’s easy to be pessimistic and takes lot of courage to be optimistic. Even if you are pessimistic own up to your believe.
As a club The Arsenal have a terrible record in European competitions. One Fairs Cup and one CWC win in 60 odd years. I still remember my first experience of attending a European Final against Valencia in the CWC in Brussels in 1980. Left England with so much hope only to come home devastated after losing on penalties. Had to wait 14 years to see us win in Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen thanks to a great goal by Smudger (Seaman played even though he had a rib injury requiring an injection before the game and at half time). Three more Finals since ’94 and not one win is truly shocking.
Herr Drier,
Wasn’t that the year when Arsenal and Liverpool had to play about 4 FA Cup replays. And we finally won 1-0, Brian Talbott scored the goal I think. And then we lost to a then second division side namely West Ham to a rare Trevor Brooking header. 🤦♂️
By the time they got to play Valencia they were blowing bubbles and treading water from their recent FA Cup battles.
And as for the win over Parma, what a line-up they had by the way.
Derek, yep that’s right about the semi finals. Brian Talbot played 70 club games that season. After the Valencia game we still had two League games to play. Away to Wolverhampton which we won and then away to Middlesbrough which we got thrashed 5-1 iirc. Failure to beat Middlesbrough meant we failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
A little bit of useless information for you. Return by boat and train to Brussels cost £14. For our first game of the following season at WBA it cost £17.50 by train. Unbelievable really.
I dread to think what it’ll cost you in todays money mad world. 🤦♂️
When we beat Marseille with a goal by Ramsey it cost me £120 return from Ashford on the Eurostar and the the connection from the Gare de Nord. That would’ve been cheaper than getting the train to Newcastle. In Germany if you are going to a game, public transport in the city of the game is free once you show your match ticket No wonder people here would rather drive than get the train.
I’m glad I never went to away games Herr Drier.
If I did, I think I would have setoff on foot the day before. 😂
😂😂
4 European finals mate
Yep 4, my mistake. I forgot Paris in ’95.