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Arsenal made it eight wins from eight games in the Champions League last night with a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty. As the Gunners had already qualified for the round of 16, it gave Mikel Arteta the chance to rest some players and allow those lacking game time some much-needed minutes.
The competition is a league only briefly; it is now time for the knockout stages, where the excitement really starts. Despite having a perfect record in the league phase, the Gunners could still face tough competition in the last 16.
Mikel Arteta's side will face one of the sides that finished between 15th and 18th place. Therefore, they will play either Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, or Olympiakos. These teams have to face a playoff match to advance. The draw for this round of fixtures is on Friday, where the potential opponents for the Gunners will be narrowed down to two.
The playoff round is a two-legged affair, which takes place on February 17/18 and 24/25. The Gunners will then be in action in the round of 16 with ties on March 10/11 and 17/18.
How far can Arsenal go in the Champions League this season?
Arsenal's main goal this season is to win the Premier League. They have not won it since the 2003/04 season and have come second in the last three campaigns. Arteta's team is currently top, but only by four points, and is winless in their last three league games.
The Champions League is also very important for the Gunners this season, and the pressure will be on them after their perfect record so far. Borussia Dortmund will likely be Arsenal's toughest possible opponent, as they are historically the second-best German side, only to Bayern Munich.
Bayer Leverkusen do not appear to be the side it once was under Xabi Alonso. Under Alonso, they won the Bundesliga and got to the Europa League final. However, they are now managed by Kasper Hjulmand and are sixth in German soccer's top flight.
Arsenal have already beaten Olympiakos in the league phase this season. The Gunners won 2-0 back in October thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Atalanta could also be a difficult fixture as they have had success on the continent recently; they beat Alonso's Leverkusen to win the Europa League.
The Gunners also have cup competitions to deal with this season. They are in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and face Wigan Athletic of League One next in the FA Cup. Arteta will need to make full use of his roster if he is to challenge on four fronts.