Man City's pain could turn out to be Arsenal's gain

Arsenal's luck really seems to be changing in cup draws this season doesn't it? In the FA Cup, following recent early round ties against Liverpool, Man City and Man United, the Gunners have so far been paired with Portsmouth, Wigan and next up Mansfield.

Well, this trend continued in Friday's Champions League draw at UEFA HQ in Nyon. Mikel Arteta's team finished first in the league phase and are now reaping the benefits. They will face Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 and have very much landed on the easier side of the bracket.

Arsenal's potential Champions League opponents

• Round of 16: Bayer Leverkusen.

• Quarter-finals: Sporting CP or Bodø/Glimt.

• Semi-finals: Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Newcastle or Tottenham.

Without taking anything for granted, having to overcome Bayer Leverkusen and then either Sporting or Bodø/Glimt to reach a Champions League semi-final cannot be viewed as anything other than a kind route. Had the Gunners landed in the corresponding position on the other side, Atalanta would be up next, before a clash with either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the quarters. After that, it would be Chelsea, PSG, Liverpool or Galatasaray in the last four, which is certainly more challenging.

Thus, again not to disrespect anyone, especially not La Liga leaders Barcelona, but Gooners everywhere surely feel at least that little bit better about their chances of being at the Puskás Aréna on 30 May. However, Arsenal are currently fighting on all four fronts, so what ramifications could this have on their chances, and the hopes of their primary rivals, in other competitions?

Champions League draw helps Arsenal's hopes of all silverware

While the Gunners loved the outcome of Friday's draw, the exact opposite will be the case for their Manchester City counterparts. The Citizens will face Real Madrid in the round of 16, before, assuming they progress, a heavyweight quarter-final showdown with Bayern Munich.

In the meantime, Arsenal's upcoming fixtures around two decisive clashes with Pep Guardiola's team appear more gentle.

Arsenal's potential fixture list (1 March-19 April)

• Sunday 1 March. Chelsea (H). Premier League. Kick off 4:30pm.

• Wendesday 4 March. Brighton (A). Premier League. Kick off 7:30pm.

• Saturday 7 March. Mansfield Town (A). FA Cup fifth round. Kick off 12:15pm.

• Wednesday 11 March. Bayer Leverkusen (A). Champions League last 16. Kick off 5:45pm.

• Saturday 14 March. Everton (H). Premier League. Kick off TBC.

• Tuesday 17 March. Bayer Leverkusen (H). Champions League last 16. Kick off 8pm.

• Sunday 22 March. Manchester City (N). EFL Cup Final. Kick off 4:30pm.

• 4/5 April. Potential FA Cup quarter-final.

• 7/8 April. Potential Champions League quarter-final. Sporting or Bodø/Glimt (A).

• 11/12 April. Bournemouth (H). Premier League. Kick off TBC.

• 14/15 April. Potential Champions League quarter-final. Sporting or Bodø/Glimt (H).

• 18/19 April. Manchester City (A). Premier League. Kick off TBC.

Ahead of March's Carabao Cup Final, Arsenal will be hosting Bayer Leverkusen while, simultaneously, Manchester City will be taking on Real Madrid at the Etihad, which should be a more taxing fixture.

Similarly, the Premier League's top two will also clash in East Manchester in mid-April in a match that will surely have huge ramifications for the title race. Assuming both advance to the Champions League last eight, the mid-week prior, Arteta's team will be hosting Sporting or Bodø, while Guardiola's side will be, more than likely, in Bavaria to face Bayern Munich, which again appears substantially tougher on paper.

Everything appears to be falling nicely into place for Arsenal, across numerous competitions, so now they simply need to seize these opportunities and not allow this to pass them by.