Arsenal have been handed a fascinating Champions League draw that includes blockbuster home ties against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side will also travel to Inter Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium as part of their eight-match league phase schedule in Europe’s premier club competition.
The draw took place on Thursday, 27 August at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, getting underway at 6pm local time, or 5pm in the United Kingdom.
Arsenal arrive at this stage of the competition with enormous momentum, having won the Premier League title last season and reached the Champions League final for the first time since 2006.
They ultimately fell short in Budapest, losing 4-3 on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes in what was a dramatic conclusion to their European campaign.
Arsenal made history during the league phase last season, becoming the first side in Champions League history to win all eight of their league phase fixtures.
This season’s format remains the same, with each of the 36 clubs drawn to face eight different opponents, two from each of the four seeding pots in the competition.
Every club plays four home matches and four away matches, with one home and one away fixture scheduled against opponents from each pot throughout the league phase.
Beyond the headline clashes, Arsenal’s draw also includes a home game against Olympiacos, a trip to Club Brugge, a home fixture against Kairat Almaty, and an away match at Athletic Club.
Arsenal will also travel to Slavia Prague as part of what is considered a relatively manageable draw alongside the high-profile fixtures against European heavyweights.
Aston Villa and Manchester United, who are both placed in Pot 2, cannot be drawn against Arsenal due to the rules preventing clubs from the same domestic league facing one another in the league phase.
The league phase schedule kicks off with Matchday 1 on 8 to 10 September, with the final round of fixtures taking place on 27 January.
Arsenal fans will be eager to see how Arteta’s side handles the challenge of facing elite European opposition across eight matchdays before the knockout rounds begin.
