Arsenal are entering their third season of Champions League football with Mikel Arteta at the helm, having reached the quarterfinals and semifinals in back-to-back seasons.
Linear development points towards a potential spot in next year’s final, but rarely does football facilitate such simple improvement. Arteta will know just how difficult it will be for his side to better their recent results in this competition, even if Andrea Berta was busy over the summer building a squad capable of enjoying another deep run.
Their league phase slog begins early on Tuesday, as they face up against Athletic Club in Bilbao. Ernesto Valverde’s side have returned to UEFA’s premier club competition for the first time in just over a decade, having recently enjoyed moderate Europa League success.
While the hosts are without star forward Nico Williams due to injury, this has the makings of a tricky encounter for the visitors.
Here’s how to watch Arsenal’s first league phase bout of 2025–26 on TV.
