Arsenal's potential Champions League opponents for last 16
- Arsenal automatically qualified for the last 16 at the end of January
- Gunners finished third in the inaugural league phase table
- Mikel Arteta's side know their two potential opponents in the next round
Arsenal remain one of the few European giants never to have triumphed in the Champions League but that could change come the end of May.
The Gunners are searching for their first ever title in the competition and have made an impressive start in this year's new-look campaign. They finished third during the inaugural league phase after winning six of their eight encounters and secured their berth in the last 16 as a result.
Having avoided an unwanted two-legged play-off, Arsenal will enter the next round in March with fresh legs as they prepare to battle for progression to the quarter-finals for the second successive season.
Here are the opponents that Arsenal could face in the Champions League round of 16.
Arsenal's potential Champions League last 16 opponents
As far as last 16 opponents go, Arsenal will be handed one of the simpler fixtures. While they don't yet know their exact opponents, they will face Dutch adversaries in the form of PSV Eindhoven or Feyenoord.
Both upset the odds and conquered Italian antagonists during the play-off round, with PSV triumphing over Juventus in extra-time of their second leg victory and Feyenoord, who could be managed by former Gunner Robin van Persie by the time the ties come around, beating seven-time European champions AC Milan 2-1 on aggregate.
2022/23 finalists Inter will face the Dutch opponents that Arsenal avoid during the upcoming draw.
Best and worst case scenario
Arsenal will be strong favourites no matter their last 16 challengers but Mikel Arteta's men would likely prefer to face Feyenoord in the next round. The Dutch side have not been as impressive since Arne Slot's departure for Liverpool last summer and are currently fourth in the Eredivisie table - 12 points worse off then PSV.
Having lost star striker Santiago Gimenez in January - who ironically joined Milan and scored against Feyenoord in the play-offs - the Rotterdam outfit will struggle to penetrate a stubborn Arsenal defence.
PSV's attacking ingenuity should cause the Gunners greater issues, with Peter Bosz's reigning Eredivisie champions in fine goalscoring form. They have already beaten Juventus and Liverpool in Europe this season and have also taken points off Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal have faced PSV across the last two seasons in Europe and were defeated by the Eindhoven club during the Europa League group stage in 2022/23. However, a 4-0 thrashing followed in the Champions League last year at the Emirates Stadium before a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands.
When is the Champions League last 16 draw?
Arsenal supporters will be keen to discover their last 16 opponents and can tune into the Champions League draw at 11:00 GMT on Friday 21 February. The event will be staged at the House of European Football in Switzerland and streamed live on UEFA's official website.
The Gunners will play the first leg of their last 16 tie on 4-5 March before the return fixture at the Emirates on 11-12 March.
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