Overview
Arsenal enters the 2026-2027 Champions League with a luggage of increasingly progressive achievements in the European arena. After reaching the quarter-finals of the 2023-2024 season, the semi-finals of the 2024-2025 season and winning the runner-up title last season, Mikel Arteta's team is aiming for the ultimate goal: the first Champions League title in history.
The Gunners" once finished second in the Champions League in 2006 and repeated this achievement in 2026. Between those two times was the defeat to Chelsea in the Europa League final under Unai Emery.
Last season, Arsenal was closer than ever to this prestigious cup when they reached the final in Budapest, but Gabriel Magalhaes' unsuccessful penalty kick contributed to Paris Saint-Germain successfully defending the championship.
Despite continuing to wait, Arsenal still has many reasons to believe in their ability to go far this season. They are unbeaten in all 15 recent Champions League matches in official playing time, while keeping a clean sheet in 9 matches and conceding only 7 goals. These are all the best statistics of the league in the period mentioned.
The away match against Napoli at Diego Armando Maradona's stadium is definitely not an easy challenge. However, Arsenal has been unbeaten in the last 9 opening matches in European tournaments, winning 7 and drawing 2 matches.
The early season form is also on the side of the London team. The 2-1 victory over Chelsea helps Arsenal win all 4 matches in all competitions this season. They scored 9 goals and conceded only 1 goal during that time.
While Arsenal is maintaining stability, Napoli has had a disappointing start under Massimiliano Allegri. The confrontation between Arteta and Allegri is considered a showdown between two coaches who were once associated with a pragmatic football philosophy. However, Napoli has not shown the solid defensive ability that was once Allegri's characteristic.
Napoli opened Serie A with a 2-0 victory over Genoa, but then lost 1-2 at home to Cesc Fabregas's Como. In the away match against Inter Milan, they continued to suffer a bitter defeat.
Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund helped Napoli lead 2-0 right at the beginning of the second half. However, Inter created a spectacular comeback and won 3-2 thanks to a decisive goal by Lautaro Martinez in the 90+1 minute.
Allegri is under great pressure at Napoli, in the context that this team's performance in the Champions League recently is not very positive. Napoli has only won 2 out of the last 10 matches in the tournament and has lost 3 consecutive matches against England representatives.
Head-to-head history also brings positive signals for Arsenal. They have defeated Napoli in both legs of the Europa League quarter-finals in the 2018-2019 season. Previously, each side won a victory in the 2013-2014 Champions League group stage. In the match Napoli won Arsenal 2-0 in Italy at that time, Arteta received a red card.
Expected lineup:
Meret, Di Lorenzo, Marin, Rrahmani, Spinazzola, De Bruyne, Lobotka, Gilmour, Politano, Hojlund, Santos.
Raya, White, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis, Havertz.
The match between Napoli and Arsenal takes place at 2:00 AM on September 10th (Vietnam time).
