Back in the Champions League for a third consecutive season, Arsenal are hoping to go all the way in 2025/26 after being beaten home and away by champions Paris Saint-Germain in last season's semi-finals. The Gunners finished second by 10 points to Liverpool in the 2024/25 Premier League and were handed dates with 2025/26 Champions League finalists Inter and six-time winners Bayern Munich among their league phase matches. Arsenal have reached the knockout stage in each of their Champions League appearances since the 2000/01 season.
Arsenal and Barcelona keen on Luiz Benedetti Sources close to the player's situation have informed CaughtOffside that Arsenal have been monitoring Benedetti for a long time and are expected to make an official move in January. However, the English side is not alone in the race. Barcelona have also shown interest, viewing Benedetti as a strategic option to reinforce their backline with a promising young talent. Barcelona's search for a ball-playing centre-back highlights Benedetti's profile.
There had been little between these rivals, the only clubs that maintained 100% records at kick-off time; pragmatism holding sway for long spells. Or maybe it was the fear of defeat. Would Arsenal have taken another Anfield draw beforehand? The answer was probably yes and it appeared that Mikel Arteta had placed the emphasis on being difficult to beat, first and foremost, with his line-up.