I think the hope is we’ll go into week 8 with most teams still having a chance of making it into the 24 and a few battling to be top 8. But it would be a pure guess to say that’s what will happen. 2 wins could get you through though…
I’m skeptical about whether we’ll have fewer dead rubbers with this format but I do like that we only play each team once.
Well then,
Thursday, September 19
Atalanta v Arsenal
Gewiss Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Tuesday, October 1
Arsenal v Paris SG
Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Tuesday, October 22
Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk
Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Wednesday, November 6
Inter Milan v Arsenal
San Siro
Kick-off: 8pm
Tuesday, November 26
Sporting Lisbon v Arsenal
Jose Alvalade Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Wednesday, December 11
Arsenal v Monaco
Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Wednesday, January 22
Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb
Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm
Wednesday, January 29
Girona v Arsenal
Estadi Montilivi
Kick-off: 8pm
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Pretty forgiving run in there. PSG and Inter early on.
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CL on a Thursday though?! Ffs.
At least there’s no early kick-offs.
erugh, UCL on a Thursday night? Wtf, I thought we upgraded from Europa??
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Very curious about this one. Inter put Atalanta in a blender the other night, albeit at home.
It certainly is. Juggling this with trying to keep up with City in the league, without the biggest squad in the world is gonna be a tough ask.
- Win first two games
- Shithouse the other 6 matches playing the kids
- Creep into playoff and smash random cunts with full team
Would be one way into the knockouts…
Tottenham (away on Sunday) —> Atlanta (away on Thursday) ----> Man City (away the following Sunday) could make or break our title challenge. Whatever happens, Arteta HAS to rotate the squad a little bit.
That game in Italy has to be Calofiori’s first start for one. 5 players who didn’t start against Tottenham should be playing that fixture. If we see dumb rotations where it’s like 2 or 3 changes, the squad is going to get cooked long term as well as in the short.
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This period is the true test as to whether our “Squad” is indeed ready to compete on multiple fronts. Arteta and Edu shipped out a lot of deadwood this Summer - so I hope these folk they’ve signed are truly a grade or two better and not ‘more of the same’.
Sofascore have added the historical data for the Champions League all the way to 03/04
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One person who comes out good in this. Frank Lampard. He’s consistently one of the highest rated players season after season.
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Only 8 players have had a campaign over 8.00 rated. Henry, Juninho, Deco, Messi, CR7, Xavi, Lewandowski, and Benzema
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The greatest individual Champions League campaign in terms of overall rating…Messi 18/19 - 8.90
Some other stuff too of course
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Surely the data is not accurate?
https://x.com/hak1pr/status/1831362868832600343
Nearly 30 ground duels?! 
What’s it got to do with the Champions league and could it get anymore boring?
It was in response to @Flexo’s post about Sofascore adding historical data
I love that idea, but I understand that a one game knockout format is something more popular in North American sports so it may not wash with a European fanbase.
It also would mean clubs are missing out on gate revenue and UEFA is giving up advertising revenue.
My guess is if UEFA could turn the knockout rounds into a best of seven series like the NBA or baseball, they would. 
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Don’t give them ideas.
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Games were more back and forth, but that amount of ground duels is ridiculous lol
You’re telling me you wouldn’t like having a Jordan-esque prematch conference where Saka guarantees a Game 7 win?
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