Arsenal’s Champions League runs under Arteta are getting hard to ignore

For many seasons, the round of 16 would be where Arsenal's Champions League campaign would come to an end year after year after year. Under Mikel Arteta however, this is certainly not the case.

Between 2011 and 2017, towards the end of the Arsène Wenger reign, the Gunners lost seven consecutive last 16 ties, three against Bayern Munich, twice at the hands of Barcelona while also eliminated by AC Milan and even Monaco. Thus, they had not won a Champions League knockout tie since 2010, a match so long ago that Nicklas Bendtner scored a hat-trick, while Sol Campbell was also a starter; Nuno Espírito Santo was Porto's back-up goalkeeper on the night! The last 16 felt like a glass celling Arsenal would never be able to shatter, but Arteta has changed all of that.

On Tuesday night, absolute thunderbolts from Eberechi Eze and then Declan Rice saw Arsenal beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 at home, ultimately ousting die Werkself 3-1 over the two legs. Thus, the Gunners have reached the Champions League quarter-finals in three successive seasons for only the second time ever, previously doing so between 2008 and 2010.

Two years ago, Arteta's team were narrowly ousted by Bayern in the last eight, before memorable hammering Real Madrid 5-1 a year later. Gooners, though, should very much not take this for granted, given how rare an achievement this is in the club's storied history.

Seasons Arsenal have reached the Champions League last quarter-finals

• 1972: Lost 3-1 to Ajax on aggregate.

• 2001: Lost on away goals to Valencia - 2-2 on aggregate.

• 2004: Lost 3-2 to Chelsea on aggregate.

• 2006: Beat Juventus 2-0 on aggregate - reached the final.

• 2008: Lost 5-3 to Liverpool on aggregate.

• 2009: Beat Villarreal 4-1 on aggregate - lost in the semis.

• 2010: Lost 5-2 to Barcelona on aggregate.

• 2024: Lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich on aggregate.

• 2025: Beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate - lost in the semis.

• 2026: Will face Sporting CP.

Next month will be only the tenth occasion Arsenal have ever featured in the Champions League quarter-finals. To date, they have enjoyed only three victories, beating Juventus en route to the final during the final season at Highbury, hammering Villarreal three years later and smashing Real Madrid 12 months ago. Thus, in the context of Arsenal's European history, which is certainly not as impressive as that of many others, what Arteta is achieving is not usual.

When the knockout phase bracket was finalised in Nyon last month, the general consensus was that it was a great draw for Arsenal. They cannot face Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain until the final, but they now need to seize this opportunity and make it to the Puskás Aréna.

Next up, Sporting CP stand in their way, after Rui Borges' side pulled off an extraordinary comeback against Bodø/Glimt, beaten 3-0 in the Arctic Circle but fighting back to prevail 5-0 after extra time at Estádio José Alvalade. After that, it'll be a semi-final trip to Spain to face either Barcelona or Atlético Madrid, none of which will be straight-forward, but Gooners everywhere are certainly dreaming of descending on Budapest come May.