Arsenal in the UCL : Elite back in the groove but of hurtful memories

Arsenal and the Champions League will reunite again in the 2023-24 season after the Gooners earned the ticket to the competition thanks to their good performance, which could still go under the rather as they at the moment look to have surrendered the league title to Manchester City.

The Mikel Arteta led side have maintained top spot on the Premier League standing for most part of the season, with their Spanish manager picking up four Manager of the month on the process.

However, after their poor display in April, which allowed Pep Guardiola's City to assume the league summit, it has become unlikely that the the North Londoners end their 19 year wait for a league title.

But this season, they've surely taken a step in the right direction and one of the dividends from it is a place in Europe's top club competition next season.

Since finishing second, behind Leicester City in the 2015-16 campaign, which was also Arteta's final season as a professional football player, Arsenal had not finished in the top four.

One of the top teams in Europe, despite their Champions League absence and while at times they failed to make the Europa and even the Europa Conference League cut, Arsenal were able to maintain their top status.

In the latter days under Arsene Wenger and then the short spell of Unai Emery, the 13 time Premier League winners continously played in the Europa League with a budget of a Champions League team but little did it affect their status.

It is only in UEFA's most recent ranking, which was released this season that Arsenal dropped out of the top 20 and it is obvious they are in line for upgraded ranking when the next one is made.

But the Champions League has always eluded them and even three club's golden generation came close but not enough, despite winning the Premier League whilst Invincible. 

Arsenal in Europe 

Arsenal's history in the Europe isn't one the club's faithful will be very fond of recollecting. Despite being known as one of the top teams in Europe, Arsenal have won neither the UEFA Champions League nor the Europa League. 

In 2006, they reached their only Champions League final but were beaten by Barcelona and thirteen years later, they fell 4-1 to fellow Londoners, Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan, venue of that season's Europa League final. 

Dismal Champions League knockout record

Only twice have Arsenal played in the Champions League semi finals. The first came in 2006, when Kolo Toure's goal in Highbury helped Arsene Wenger's side progressed to the final with a 1-0 aggregate win over Villarreal. 

It was also that season that the Gooners became the first English side ever to beat Real Madrid in the famous and reputable Santiago Bernabeu as Thierry Henry scored a wonderful solo goal, which was the only one produced in the round of 16 doubleheader.

Arsenal also made it to the semi finals in 2009 before losing 4-1 over two legs to eventual runner-up, Manchester United.

Arsenal have played in the Champions League quarter finals in seven different seasons, only managing to progress into the last four twice.

Only against Juventus (2006) and Villarreal (2009) has Arsenal been able to win Champions League quarter final ties and progress to the last four. 

In their last seven seasons in the competition, they've suffered elimination in the round of 16 - Bayern Munich and Barcelona have combined to eliminate the Gooners six times in their last eight.

The other two have come in the hands of AC Milan and AS Monaco.

In those periods when they lost to Bayern and Barcelona, they appeared vulnerable and no match for their opponents, mostly in their most recent ones.

They were humbled 10-2 over two legs by Bayern Munich in their last Champions League tie while in the season before that, it was Barcelona thrashing them 5-1 on aggregate.

Lionel Messi scored four goals in one match against them in the Camp Nou in 2010 while in 2015 they lost 3-1 at home to Monaco and got eliminated on away goal rule, even after winning the return leg 2-0 in France.

It was their complacency that costed them against Milan in 2012 as they exit the competition even after winning the 3-0 at the Emirates because they had lost 4-0 in the reverse fixture in Italy. 

Poor record against English side 

In the Champions League, Arsenal have a zero per cent win rate against fellow English teams.

Under Arsene Wenger, they faced both Chelsea and Liverpool in the quarter finals, while they've played Manchester United in the semi finals and has two draws and four defeats to show.

The light at the end of the tunnel 

Given Arsenal also struggled against top teams domestically during this period of their hurtful Chsnpions League exits, it makes them an interesting prospect on return to the competition, due to the turnaround in that department this season.

Arsenal were able to complete the league double over Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur while also taking four points off Liverpool and beat Manchester United in the Emirates.

It's been ages since they have got so much good result against fellow top six opponents in the league and if they can maintain fitness and consistency next season, they would return to Europe's number one club competition a force.

The Emirates will be the only stadium in London, where the Champions League anthem will be sound next season and after waiting for so long to return, Gooners deserve a worthy spectacle.

The return also means the club can attract top players in the window as every player wants to play in the top competitions, Arsenal are surely making themselves a top team again but this time, the expectation is that they become more competitive in the company of the elites.

Author : Kehinde Hassan Afolabi