Arsenal begin the 2026/27 Champions League with a single aim in mind: turning last season’s final defeat into a winning run. The Gunners, crowned Premier League champions, lost the 2025/26 showpiece to Paris Saint-Germain and now return to Europe’s biggest stage determined to go one better.
Their form in the previous campaign underlined how close they came. Arsenal won all eight of their league phase matches and went unbeaten across 90 minutes throughout the whole competition, a record few sides can match.
The club’s broader record in the tournament is just as steady. Arsenal have reached the knockout stage in every Champions League campaign they have entered since 2000/01.
Fans tracking the new season can follow the full fixture list and results, with every match due to start at 20:00 UK time. The league phase table will take shape as the weeks pass, and the knockout stage opens with the playoff round that determines which teams reach the round of 16 in February.
The squad submitted for the league phase carries the usual asterisks marking List B entries. Those places are set aside for players born after January 1, 2005 who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted two years since their 15th birthday, and additions can be made until midnight before each match. UEFA also publishes updated List A squads.
Why England has five clubs in the draw
Five English sides are involved this season. Arsenal, City, United, Villa and Liverpool all earned their places by finishing in the top five of the Premier League.
England was granted an extra position through UEFA’s coefficient rankings, which are calculated from how each nation’s clubs perform across European competition over the course of a season. Villa had another route open to them as well: lifting last season’s Europa League would have guaranteed a Champions League spot, although their league finish meant it was not required.
Madrid final and how to watch in the UK
The final will be played on June 5 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, Atletico Madrid’s home ground since 2017. There may be a promising omen for English clubs: the last time the stadium hosted the showpiece, in 2019, two Premier League teams contested it and Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0.
For viewers in the UK, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video hold the live broadcast rights. Amazon has first choice of the Tuesday fixtures, while every other match is shown on TNT Sports. BBC Sport also carries highlights rights.
Streaming is available through the broadcasters’ own apps: HBO Max for TNT, the Prime Video app and BBC iPlayer. All three work on a wide variety of devices, from smart TVs to gaming consoles.
Arsenal’s attempt to claim the trophy that slipped away last season will stretch from the league phase through to the knockout rounds, with the final awaiting in Madrid on June 5 2027.
