Arsenal earned a bye to the round of 16 by finishing in the top eight of the league phase. The club will skip the two-legged playoff required by teams finishing ninth through 24th. A much-needed boost given Arsenal's injury troubles.
The club finished third in the league phase, as high as they could coming into the final day given Barcelona and Liverpool were out of reach. The side conceded just three goals in the league phase, a testament to the team's defensive strengths fueled by William Saliba and Gabriel.
Arsenal and their supporters might have to wait a bit to find out their guaranteed opponents, but there's a certain pool of four they could play.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S ARSENAL WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
Who Are Arsenal Playing in the Champions League Knockout Stage?
Based on UEFA's format and the final league phase table, Arsenal can play the following sides come the round of 16:
- AC Milan
- PSV Eindhoven
- Feyenoord
- Juventus
Arsenal's four potential opponents are made up of two Eredivisie and Serie A sides. Juventus and AC Milan on paper would be highlight matches, but don't discount the two Eredivisie sides having strong performances throughout the league phase.
The Champions League knockout stage playoff draw will take place Friday, Jan. 31 at 6 a.m. ET. After that, Arsenal will have to wait to see which side of the bracket they'll be drawn into. But, by that time they'll have just two potential opponents based on who has advanced.
READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Are Arsenal Playing in the Champions League Knockout Stage?.
