Can Arsenal win the UCL?

At the end of Arsenal’s best season since the Arsene Wenger era, Mikel Arteta’s team suffered an agonising defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Having taken the French giants to a penalty shootout, the Gunners fell short in their efforts to be crowned European champions for the first time in their history.

It is something of an anomaly that Arsenal have never won the Champions League or European Cup. They have reached the final on two occasions in 2006 and 2026, yet the most iconic trophy in European club football has never ended up in the hands of the North London club.

With all this in mind, Arsenal could target Champions League glory over anything else this season. Arteta’s outfit lifted the Premier League trophy last season and are widely considered to be the team to beat this season, underlined by Sunday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea. Europe is the final frontier.

Arsenal have one of the deepest squads anywhere in European football right now. This was already the case before the summer transfer window when Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Ezri Konsa made the move to the Emirates Stadium. It is certainly the case now with Arteta boasting at least two options for every position on the pitch.

Defensively, there is no stronger backline in the European game. Arsenal kept 19 clean sheets in 38 league games this season and have kept two in three outings to start the 2026/27 campaign. Morgan Rogers’ goal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday is the only goal Arsenal have conceded so far this season.

As a creative outfit, questions have been asked of the Gunners. So far this season, though, there have been signs that Arsenal have evolved. Martin Odegaard looks back to his best as Arteta’s primary creator in central midfield with Bukayo Saka fully fit again after a 2025/26 campaign that was disrupted by injury.

Riccardo Calafiori has been one of Arsenal’s most eye-catching players in the last few matches. The Italian is always willing to get forward from his position at left back with his movement opening up a new dimension for the Gunners – see his inverted run in the build-up to Odegaard’s goal against Chelsea.

Kai Havertz is another Arsenal player who has started the season in top form. The German is firmly Arteta’s first-choice centre forward after missing the first half of the 2025/26 campaign due to a serious injury and is reminding everyone of his all-round quality. Havertz still doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

That might change if Arsenal win the Champions League this season. PSG still have a target on their back after clinching the European title in each of the last two campaigns with Luis Enrique’s side potentially even stronger after the summer addition of Ferran Torres and Maghnes Akliouche as depth options.

Barcelona have started the season in frightening form, winning all four of their opening La Liga games and scoring 17 goals in the process. Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid also boast the match-winning quality to challenge for the Champions League this season.

However, Arsenal might be the most complete team in Europe at this moment in time. They can control games in and out of possession. Their defence is rock solid while their forward line is back to being one of the most impactful in the Premier League now that Odegaard and Saka are fit and firing.

Arteta has already secured his place in the pantheon of great Arsenal managers, certainly of the modern era. He has restored the North London club as a force at the top level of the English and European game, but Champions League success would elevate the Spaniard to an entirely new level.