ARSENAL face Olympiacos in the second match of their Champions League campaign. Mikel Arteta worked his magic in the opening game of the competition as super subs Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro

The UEFA Champions League gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 16 with six matches, including Arsenal taking on Athletic Club.

Victory in Bilbao means they have become the first club in Champions League history to win six matches in a row against Spanish opposition. It extends a run of wins after they beat Girona, Sevilla (twice) and Real Madrid (twice) over the last two seasons.

Last season's beaten semifinalists bring the curtain up on the Champions League league phase on Tuesday afternoon as Arsenal face off against Athletic Club in Bilbao. A summer of ambitious spending on top of the squad he already has means Mikel Arteta returns to the Basque country in the knowledge that his side rank among the leading contenders to win the competition that is the biggest missing piece of the Arsenal trophy room.

It’s only a slight change, but one that will see the Emirates Stadium name switch to being called the “Arsenal Stadium” instead. This will likely impact broadcasters, who won’t be able to call it by the sponsorship name, while tickets may switch, but are allowed to use sponsors if it helps to differentiate it from other stadia.

In their bid to address three years of second-placed finishes in the Premier League, Arsenal spent heavily in the summer transfer window to recruit Viktor Gyökeres, Martín Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Piero Hincapié, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, with squad depth a key priority for Arteta.

Arsenal of the English Premier League will take on Athletic Club of Spanish La Liga on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League on Paramount+

Kylian Mbappé converted two penalties and 10-man Real Madrid came back to beat visiting Marseille 2-1 on the opening night of the Champions League.

Arsenal endured an exhausting match at Newcastle that saw their depth once again make the difference when it mattered. Stealing a page out of Liverpool’s playbook, two late goals flipped the script and earned the Gunners’ first win at St. James’ Park since 2023.