Arsenal will discover their Champions League league phase opponents on Thursday, but one fixture is already off the table: a trip to Inter Milan at the San Siro is prohibited under UEFA rules.
Mikel Arteta's squad know they will face two opponents from each seeding pot, as in previous seasons. Last term, their top-seeded pot one opponents were Bayern Munich at home and Inter Milan away, with the Gunners also meeting Inter at the San Siro in 2025/26.
UEFA rule blocks repeat matchup
UEFA's regulations, introduced when the new league phase format launched before the 2024/25 season, state that the same home-team matchup cannot occur at this stage in three consecutive years. The governing body explained: "If any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season (although, for the sake of clarity, those teams could still be drawn against each other at the venue of the other team)."
This does not rule out an Arsenal-Inter meeting altogether. A league phase encounter at the Emirates Stadium remains possible, and nothing prevents the sides from meeting over two legs in the knockout stages.
Recent history between the sides
Inter defeated Arsenal in November 2024, when a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty handed Arteta's side their sole defeat of that season's league phase. The Gunners gained revenge last season, with Gabriel Jesus scoring twice in a 3-1 victory in January.
The rule also affects other clubs. Liverpool defeated Real Madrid at home in each of the past two campaigns, ruling out another Anfield clash between those sides this term.
Arsenal's form and Premier League contingent
Arsenal won all eight matches during last season's league phase to finish top of the table and bypass an additional play-off round. They then secured knockout wins over Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting CP and Atletico Madrid before being eliminated on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
The north London outfit are one of five Premier League clubs competing in this season's Champions League, alongside Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool. The league phase commences on September 8. City remain the most recent Premier League side to be crowned European champions, defeating Inter in the 2023 final. Real Madrid claimed the following year's trophy before PSG secured back-to-back titles in 2025 and 2026.
