Arsenal are likely to avoid a 'worst case scenario' in the Champions League group stage as they are seeded in pot 2 for next season's tournament.
The Gunners finished second in the Premier League this season, automatically qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2017.
However, their lack of success in European competition means that the UEFA coefficient measured over five years is low.
Arsenal are currently 23rd in the UEFA club coefficient rankings. Given that there are eight teams in each Champions League pot, the Gunners would have been in pot 3 had all the other teams qualified for Europe's premier competition first. means advertisement
But Juventus, Roma, Chelsea, Tottenham and many other teams have all missed out on qualifying for next season's Champions League.
And Arsenal have confirmed he is in Pot 2 for their next tournament, despite not having qualified yet. This means you can avoid the worst possible scenario if you were in pot 3.
Which team will Arsenal not draw?
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Arsenal's biggest advantage is that they won't face Real Madrid in the group stage, as the 14-time winners are also tied in Pot 2.
Other European giants in the pot include Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid, as well as this season's finalists Inter Milan.
In pot one, the Gunners cannot draw reigning champions Manchester City, as two teams from the same association cannot face each other in the group phase. That also means an early clash with Newcastle, who are in pot three or four, is off the table.
Champions League group stage draw pots, 2023-24
POT 2
?? Real Madrid
??????? Manchester United
?? Borussia Dortmund
?? Atletico Madrid
?? RB Leipzig
?? FC Porto
??????? Arsenal
Plus
?? Inter Milan (if lose UCL final)
OR
?? Shakhtar Donetsk (if Inter win UCL final)
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) June 8, 2023
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But while Arsenal have avoided a potential 'group of death' scenario in one sense, there is no that their path to the knockouts will be simple.
Pot three contains this season's semi-finalists AC Milan, while league champions Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Napoli and PSG are all in pot one. Based on the current UEFA coefficients, the best-case scenario against Feyenoord, Celtic and Lens in the group stage would be a draw.
Celtic are one of the teams not guaranteed a place in pots 3 or 4 as all 32 teams have yet to qualify, with Real Sociedad in the same position. Teams that have to qualify include PSV, Galatasaray, Rangers, Marseille and Young Boys.
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