Arsenal may have made a shaky start to life in the Premier League, but attentions will soon turn to their progress in Europe’s biggest tournament.
Yes, the Champions League is already alive and kicking, and with the last round of qualification matches set to conclude this week, Arsenal are beginning to get an idea of who they could face.
Fellow Premier League rivals, Manchester United, look set to make a return after a year away from the tournament, with a convincing 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the first leg qualifier.
Completing the list of English clubs are Chelsea and Manchester City, who have just as much chance of receiving a horror group when the draw is made on August 27th.
Arsene Wenger’s side haven’t made things easy for themselves in recent seasons, with the added pressure of two qualifying games being the unwanted pressure the Gunners manager needed.
However, following their 3rd place finish in the Premier League, Arsenal haven’t had to face that situate this year, and will go into the Champions League with a serious belief they can progress into the final.
The last time an Arsenal side did that was back in 2006, where a rare Sol Campbell opener wasn’t enough to get past the brilliance of Barcelona.
But in a year where Arsenal fans truly believe this squad can emulate the efforts of 2006, Fresh Arsenal have devised an outline of the Gunners group stage possibilities.
Best Case Scenario:Â PSV Eindhoven, Dynamo Kiev, Gent
Although there is no such thing as an ‘easy group’, but things will certainly look brighter if Arsenal are handed a set of fixtures like this.
Arsenal have made a big deal of saving their best efforts in the Champions League for after Christmas, which has ultimately led to them finishing second in the group and getting a dreaded draw in the knockout stages.
However, if the likes of PSV, Dynamo Kiev and Gent pop out of the hat on August 27th, there will be a weight of pressure lifted from the shoulders of Arsene Wenger.
1 – PSV (Netherlands)
Let’s start with the strongest of the three choices in PSV, and the Dutch club are rocking after winning the Eredivisie and ending a four-year reign of Ajax.
Phillip Cocu’s side have got off to an unbeaten start in the 2015/16 campaign, with a win and two draws handing them an average start of 5 points from three games.
Luuk de Jong has been their standout man over recent seasons, and Arsenal will struggle against his pace and agility in front of goal.
Their stadium holds just short of 35,000 spectators, but despite their enormous fan basis the surface in the Netherlands could be a big worry for Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners are used to playing football on what can only be described as a carpet, and if the pitch is bobbly it can often spell problems for the comfort of an Arsenal squad who play everything along the floor.
2 – Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Having featured in Europe nearly as much as the Gunners, the Ukranian side are no strangers to causing an upset in the Champions League.
After winning their nations version of the Premier League, Kiev have jumped straight back into Europe’s biggest competition following a season in the Europa League.
And although there are no standout names or world-class names in this side, it will be the away trips that will throw up the most problems for the Gunners.
Teams in the Ukraine are renowned for their overwhelming support, and Kiev’s 70,000 seater stadium will be a daunting place to visit no matter how well Wenger’s side are playing.
The Arsenal boss will struggle to weigh up his oppositions form as well, with the unrealistic amount of competition in Ukraine’s top division being a real problem in judging a club like Kiev.
3 – Gent (Belgium)
Quite possibly the lowest raked side to make the Champions League this year, Gent are making an appearance after winning their first Belgian title.
Following their surprise triumph last season, this is now the first time in their history of making the tournament, and Arsenal will be praying to be partnered with them.
As well as a host of inexperience amongst the side, the current Belgian champions have failed to pick up any other major honours other than three minor Cup competitions.
Their inexperience will be a major influence in this tournament, and if Gent have any chance of picking up points they will have to do it with their home advantage.
Arsenal will be too comfortable at the Emirates with this side, and their understated quality of passing will be too much for Gent to cope with.