Champions League Draw 2023-24: Who can Arsenal face in Group Stages?

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage draw will be taking place on Thursday (August 31). The elite club competition of the World will see the 32 entrants divided into eight groups in the draw as we kickstart the group stages soon.

Arsenal will be among the teams in the UCL draw as they make a long-awaited return to the competition. The Gunners last played the Champions League back in 2016-17, under then-manager Arsene Wenger.

Since then, the North London club has been mostly restricted to UEFA Europa League. But after a fantastic 2022-23 season in the Premier League, the Gunners have made their way back to the Champions League.

As they return to the elite fold after seven years, here we take a look at who can be Arsenal's opponents in the group stages.

What is the pot for Arsenal in the UCL draw?

Arsenal have been allotted in Pot 2 ahead of the UEFA Champions League draw this season.

The Gunners are along with Real Madrid (ESP), Manchester United (ENG), Inter Milan (ITA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Atletico Madrid (ESP), RB Leipzig (GER), and Porto (POR) in Pot 2.

Arsenal: Who can potentially be Gunners' opponents in the Champions League?

There is a strict rule of same association avoidance in UEFA Champions League group stages and Round of 16 draws. Hence, the Gunners won't be grouped with any English teams in the group stages.

In Pot 1, Arsenal will have any of these opponents - Sevilla, Bayern Munich, PSG, Barcelona, Benfica, Napoli and Feyenoord.

From Pot 3, the Gunners can have Shakhtar Donetsk, RB Salzburg, Crvena Zvezda and FC Kobenhavn without any restrictions. But they won't have AC Milan if they draw Napoli beforehand. The same will be the fate with Braga, Lazio, PSV if they are drawn with Porto, Napoli and Feyenoord from Pot 1 respectively.

From Pot 4, Arsenal can have anyone except Newcastle United. There are four teams in this group which the North London club can be drawn with without any restriction, and they are Celtic, Galatasaray, Royal Antwerp and BSC Young Boys.

Real Sociedad won't be drawn with Arsenal if they get Barcelona in the earlier draw. Also RC Lens and Union Berlin can't be grouped with the Gunners if they draw with PSG and Bayern Munich respectively from Pot 1 draw.