The new Champions League campaign is set to get underway soon, with Arsenal looking to make plenty of progress in the latest edition of the competition.
There are some key changes that Mikel Arteta will have to get to grips with though, should the Gunners progress into the latter rounds.
One of those is the removal of the group stages in favour of a league phase, which will put all of the teams into one large table.
Arsenal will then face off against eight different opponents – two from each pot with four games at the Emirates Stadium and four games away.
At the end of that, the Gunners will have a better idea of their fate in the competition, either qualifying for the round of 16, a two-legged qualification match or total elimination.
Arteta can begin planning his route to those stages, with Arsenal’s Champions League opponents finally drawn.
Arsenal’s full Champions League 24/25 draw revealed
So with the draw finally taking place, Arsenal now know the opponents they will be facing in this year’s Champions League.
Here’s a look at those fixtures:
- PSG (H) – Pot 1
- Inter Milan (A) – Pot 1
- Shakhtar Donetsk (H) – Pot 2
- Atalanta (A) – Pot 2
- Dinamo Zagreb (H) – Pot 3
- Sporting CP (A) – Pot 3
- AS Monaco (H) – Pot 4
- Girona (A) – Pot 4
Arsenal Champions League fixture dates
The dates of the Champions League fixtures ahead have already been lined up, with eight weeks outlined for Arsenal to be involved in action.
The order of their fixtures are currently unknown and will be announced on Saturday, August 31.
The eight matchdays are scheduled for the following dates:
- Matchday 1: September 17/18/19
- Matchday 2: October 1/2
- Matchday 3: October 22/23
- Matchday 4: November 5/6
- Matchday 5: November 26/27
- Matchday 6: December 10/11
- Matchday 7: January 21/22
- Matchday 8: January 29
New Champions League rules explained
So with Arsenal now understanding more about their potential route to the Champions League final, it’s important to understand how changes to the format will work.
The Gunners will be facing eight separate opponents with four games at home and four games away.
It means a change from the usual group stages, which would have seen the team draw three opponents to play twice each.
The league phase will be conducted as a large league table, collating every team’s results in one place rather than one group to qualify from.
By finishing in the top eight, passage to the round of 16 is confirmed while the teams who finish ninth to 24th will have to play a two-legged knockout clash to earn passage.
Any team finishing from 25th to 36th will be knocked out of the competition and there is no entry to the Europa League or other European competition.
A draw will then decide the knockout rounds and the latter half of the Champions League.
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