A trophy really is a must for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal during the 2025/26 campaign. Last tasting glory back in 2020 after winning the FA Cup in his first season in charge, the Spaniard has been unable to add more silverware to trophy cabinet at the Emirates Stadium despite the team making some big strides in recent years.
The hope will be that Arsenal can go one step better in the Premier League next term after finishing in second place in each of the last three seasons. A lack of a proven striker has proved very costly and the north London club need to ensure that Arteta has one at his disposal come August.
The ultimate goal for Arsenal will be to get their hands on the Champions League for the very first time. The Gunners made the final four of this season’s competition but they were eliminated in the semi-finals by PSG.
Arsenal will once again take their place at Europe’s top table next season and they will be in Pot 2 of August’s league phase draw. Whereas previously teams in the same pot couldn’t be drawn alongside each other in the Champions League, the new format of UEFA’s premier competition sees sides paired against two teams from each of the four pots to establish the eight league phase fixtures they will play.
Arsenal fans will have to bide their time before they discover next season’s European matches, with the draw set to take place on Thursday, August 28. The pots for 2025/26 are starting to take shape and six potential Pot 1 opponents are already clear to see as they cannot come up against fellow Premier League teams Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea.
You can find out how the pots are shaping up, fixture dates and draw dates for next season’s Champions League below:
Teams already qualified and likely pots
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSG, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona.
Pot 2: Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Villarreal, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt.
Pot 2/3: Tottenham, PSV.
Pot 3: Ajax, Napoli, Sporting CP, Olympiacos, Slavia Prague, Marseille.
Pot 4: AS Monaco, Galatasaray, Union SG, Athletic Club. Newcastle United.
Champions League 2025/26 schedule
League phase
Matchday 1: 16-18 September
Matchday 2: 30 September-1 October
Matchday 3: 21-22 October
Matchday 4: 4-5 November
Matchday 5: 25-26 November
Matchday 6: 9-10 December
Matchday 7: 20-21 January
Matchday 8: 28 January
Knockout phase play-offs
First leg: 17-18 February
Second leg: 24-25 February
Round of 16
First leg: 10-11 March
Second leg: 17-18 March
Quarter-finals
First leg: 7-8 April
Second leg: 14-15 April
Semi-finals
First leg: 28-29 April
Second leg: 5-6 May
Final
Saturday, May 30, 2026 at Puskas Arena, Budapest.
Champions League draw dates
League phase: 28 August
Knockout phase play-offs: 30 January
Round of 16/quarter-finals/semi-finals/final: 27 February
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