Arsenal Face Very Tough Route to 2025/26 Champions League Final

Wednesday evening marked the end of the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, and it’s not unfair to say that all five of the Premier League’s competing sides flew the England flag high. Arsenal, in particular, impressed by flawlessly winning all eight of their matches.

Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin added gloss to the final hoorah of league fixtures with his 98th-minute goal against Real Madrid – which saw Jose Mourinho’s men handed a playoff spot via goal difference – but it was a memorable night, too, for the side in north London.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal picked up a 3-2 home win against Kairat Almaty to conclude the league phase of Europe’s premier competition, but could they go all the way for the first time in their history?

Widely regarded as one of the biggest clubs to never win the Champions League, Arteta could write his name in the club’s history books – on 30 May 2026 at Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary – if he became the first manager in their history to get his hands on the big-eared trophy.

Arsenal’s Potentially Challenging Route to the 2025/26 Champions League

Arsenal’s terrific form on the continental stage, having finished top without a scratch, means they have automatically qualified as one of the final 16 teams – and no playoff tie awaits them. Instead, they will be entirely focused on their Round of 16 opponent.

Who that will be remains to be seen but one thing is for certain: they will not be facing Bayern Munich, who finished one place behind and three points shy of the Gunners in the league phase.

Instead, they could lock horns with one of Atalanta (15th), Bayer Leverkusen (16th), Borussia Dortmund (17th) or Olympiacos (18th). On paper, Dortmund look to be the toughest opponent they could face, but all four sides would throw up a decent challenge for the Premier League’s table-toppers.

Should Arsenal progress further in their pursuit of silverware (and their first-ever Champions League crown), their quarter-final tie could see them face Manchester City, but only if Pep Guardiola’s men are able to overcome one of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Benfica or Young Boys.

Sporting CP, the previous employers of Viktor Gyokeres, are also another team who Arsenal could face at the quarter-final stage after the Portuguese outfit finished seventh in the league phase of the competition.

The deeper into the competition Arsenal go, the waters get a bit murkier. A semi-final showdown against either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur (should they reach the final four) is on the cards, while one of Liverpool, Barcelona, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle United could be in their way.

Arsenal’s first-place finish offers a number of advantages but none more so than only being able to face Bayern Munich in the final.

Earlier in the season, Jurrien Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were all on the scoresheet as they ran triumphant in a 3-1 win over Vincent Kompany’s side, but the fixture has not always been kind to them. Still, Harry Kane and company remain a major threat and a final between the two would be terrific viewing.

Other English Teams and Their Round of 16 Ties

Although much has been made of Arsenal’s flawless campaign thus far, all five sides from the Premier League have impressed; all but Newcastle qualified automatically. In terms of the Magpies, they will go into the knockout phase play-offs as one of the seeded sides, having finished 12th, meaning they will face one of two unseeded teams in Qarabag or AS Monaco.

Unable to face Barcelona, Chelsea could lock horns with one of PSG, Monaco, Qarabag or Newcastle – which would be the first all-English tie of the competition – in the Round of 16. Liverpool and Tottenham could face one of Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Club Brugge or Galatasaray.

Lastly, City – who won the competition for the first time in their treble-winning 2022/23 campaign – are unable to butt heads with Sporting in the Round of 16 by virtue of their league phase finishes. Instead, Guardiola’s men could be up against a familiar opponent in Los Blancos (who they’ve met in five consecutive seasons), last season’s finalists Inter, Jose Mourinho’s Benfica or minnow Young Boys.