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Arsenal's league phase draw for the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 season has concluded. The new automated format of the draw took place in Monte Carlo this season.
The Champions League has 36 teams in this year's competition, unlike the previous format of 32 teams. Instead of four-team group stages, where every club played the others twice, teams will play eight different opponents in a league phase this term.
Like the other teams, the Gunners will also take on four teams at the Emirates and four on the road. They will play Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, and AS Monaco at home.
Inter Milan, Atalanta, Sporting CP, and Girona are the opponents they will face away from home. The dates of each game are yet to be announced and fans will learn about it on August 31, as part of the new format.
Arsenal have a difficult run ahead of them in the league phase, but will be among the favorites to make it through to the knockouts. PSG are the reigning French champions and remain a European powerhouse despite Kylian Mbappe's departure.
2009-10 UCL champions Inter Milan are the current Italian champions and are a juggernaut at San Siro. Shakhtar, Atalanta, and Dinamo Zagreb are arguably the easier opponents for the other teams.
Sporting CP, meanwhile, knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League in 2022-23 and Ruben Amorim's side can't be overlooked. AS Monaco have historically performed well in the competition and reached the final in 2003-04.
Girona, meanwhile, were the surprise packages of the 2023-24 La Liga season and finished third. Michel's side have the ability to shock the big names.
What Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said about the new Champions League format
The new UEFA Champions League format adds to the intrigue of the already exciting competition. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has already made his feelings clear on the matter.
Arteta opined that teams will now look to finish as high as possible. Speaking about the challenges and the approach of his team, Arteta said last month (via the Gunners' website):
“You want to finish as high as possible, and in order to do that you have to win every game. You can play against any opposition at any ground. That’s great and it gives you a great chance to see very early in the season, where you are, what your level is and how much you have progressed through the competition. Obviously, that’s going to be elevated to a different level.”
Arsenal reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season but were beaten by Bayern Munich (3-2 on aggregate).
