Could Arsenal’s Champions League ambitions face a brutal knockout path?

February 5, 2026 Oliver Obel

Arsenal have lived with Champions League expectation for decades, often entering the spring with hope and leaving it with regret. This season feels different not because trophies have been won, but because the groundwork has been laid with uncommon control.

When the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League concluded on Wednesday, English clubs collectively made their presence felt. All five Premier League representatives advanced. Arsenal, though, did more than simply qualify. They set the pace.

Eight wins, no hesitation

Arsenal finished the league phase with a perfect record, winning all eight matches. Competition data highlighted by GIVEMESPORT shows they are only the 13th team in Champions League history to complete a group or league stage without dropping a point.

Their final outing, a 3–2 home win over Kairat Almaty, was tighter than some of their earlier performances but no less decisive. Elsewhere, the margins were thinner still. Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored in the 98th minute against Real Madrid, a dramatic intervention that pushed José Mourinho’s side into the playoff places on goal difference.

Those moments served as a reminder of how volatile the tournament can be. Arsenal, by contrast, moved through the phase with a sense of routine, rarely looking rushed or exposed.

A draw that offers opportunity not comfort

Finishing top has delivered a clear advantage. Mikel Arteta’s side bypass the playoff round and move directly into the last 16, buying valuable preparation time as the calendar tightens.

Their next opponent will come from Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos. Dortmund appear the most daunting on reputation alone, though recent European campaigns suggest none of the four should be underestimated.

One benefit of Arsenal’s first-place finish is structural. As reported by GIVEMESPORT, Bayern Munich who finished behind them in the standings cannot be drawn against Arsenal until the final. It does not remove danger, but it delays it.

Beyond the last 16, the landscape shifts quickly. Manchester City could await in the quarter-finals, assuming Pep Guardiola’s side navigate past opponents that may include Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Benfica or Bodo/Glimt.

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Familiar rivals, shrinking margins

Progress would bring Arsenal closer to familiar company. A semi-final against Chelsea or Tottenham remains a realistic scenario, while Liverpool, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle could yet intersect their path.

Newcastle ended the league phase in 12th place and enter the playoff round as a seeded side, set to face either Qarabag or Monaco. Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham also face demanding draws, reinforcing how unforgiving the knockout stage tends to be, regardless of domestic pedigree.

For Arsenal, topping the table has not cleared the road ahead. It has simply removed the earliest obstacles. Bayern Munich, one of Europe’s most consistent contenders, remain unreachable until the final the earliest possible meeting with the German champions.

After years of falling short, Arteta’s team have earned something rare in this competition: time, belief and room to grow. What they do with it will decide whether this campaign becomes another chapter of promise, or the one that finally alters Arsenal’s European history.

Sources: GIVEMESPORT