Arsenal lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on 30 May 2026 at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Four and a half months on, a squad reshaped by five summer signings has opened the new league phase with two wins and no goals conceded. Supporters weighing up whether Arsenal can go one step further will want to compare outright odds before committing. For those interested in exploring betting promotions ahead of the next Champions League fixtures, comparing the best UK free bets no deposit offers can help identify available introductory incentives while assessing the outright and match betting markets.

Kai Havertz had scored inside six minutes in Budapest before Ousmane Dembélé levelled from the spot on 65. In the shoot-out, Eberechi Eze missed one of Arsenal’s early kicks, David Raya saved from Nuno Mendes, Lucas Beraldo converted PSG’s final penalty and Gabriel Magalhães sent the last kick over the bar, handing Luis Enrique’s side back-to-back titles. Arsenal had already won the Premier League, their first title since 2004, and Mikel Arteta’s summer business targeted three areas the season had exposed: midfield, central defence and goalkeeper cover.

Guimarães, Konsa, Hincapié, Tzolis and Meslier: Arsenal’s five summer signings

The biggest outlay was in midfield. Bruno Guimarães joined from Newcastle on 8 August for a reported £75m, after four and a half years at St James’ Park, the last of them as captain. Newcastle called it one of the ten highest fees ever received for a player aged 28 or over. A knock picked up in the Community Shield delayed his debut, which came from the bench in the 1-0 win at Villa Park on 31 August.

Ezri Konsa followed on 21 August for a reported £51m from Aston Villa, hours before the league opener against Coventry. The 28-year-old England defender, who can also play at right-back, was bought because William Saliba is expected to miss several months with a back problem, and he started next to Gabriel against Lille. Piero Hincapié’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen had already been made permanent at the start of the window for around £34.5m. He made 39 appearances in 2025-26, so Arteta begins a second European campaign with a left side he already trusts.

Christos Tzolis cost a Club Brugge record £34m on a five-year contract. His Brugge record reads 108 matches, 43 goals and 45 assists, mostly from the left wing, and he takes the squad place vacated by Leandro Trossard. The draw published by UEFA on 27 August handed Arsenal Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Sabah at home, with trips to Bayern Munich, Real Betis, Napoli and Slavia Prague, so a left-sided forward who can finish was not a luxury.

Illan Meslier is the quietest signing and the most pointed one. Arsenal confirmed the 26-year-old on a free from Leeds on 9 July, after 215 appearances and 70 clean sheets at Elland Road but no competitive appearance in 2025-26. The context is late March, when Kepa Arrizabalaga started both the EFL Cup defeat to Manchester City and the FA Cup exit at Southampton, the two results that ended hopes of a four-trophy season.

Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard and Kiwior: the summer departures

The outgoing list was longer than the incoming one. Gabriel Martinelli joined Al-Hilal for a reported £60m after seven years at the club, Gabriel Jesus went to Barcelona on deadline day for an initial £8.6m, Trossard left for Beşiktaş for £17m and Jakub Kiwior’s move to Porto became permanent for €17m. Christian Nørgaard (Everton), Fábio Vieira (Hamburg) and Karl Hein (Werder Bremen) also left, Reiss Nelson’s contract was terminated, and Ethan Nwaneri joined Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan.

The result is a squad with fewer forwards and more defensive depth than the one that reached Budapest. The side that started against Lille on 13 October (Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Guimarães, Rice, Merino; Madueke, Eze, Gyökeres) included two of the five signings, and Tzolis was used from the bench in Naples.

Napoli 0-1 Arsenal on 9 September: Ødegaard’s late winner in Naples

Arteta made four changes from the league win over Chelsea for the opener in Naples. Bukayo Saka had five first-half shots, including a volley from a Viktor Gyökeres cross that went straight at Alex Meret. The goal came with 15 minutes left: Martin Ødegaard played a one-two with Tzolis and drove a left-footed shot from the edge of the area in off the post. Havertz then tapped in after Vanja Milinković-Savić spilled a Tzolis effort, but a late offside flag ruled it out.

The approach is the one that carried Arsenal to Budapest: a low concession rate, patience and one moment of quality. The clean sheet in Naples was Arsenal’s 20th in 40 Champions League games under Arteta, four more than any other side since the start of 2023-24.

Arsenal 3-0 Lille on 13 October: three goals in seven minutes at the Emirates

Lille, coached this season by Davide Ancelotti, arrived having lost their opener 3-2 at home to Real Betis. For an hour the match followed the Napoli script: Ayase Ueda had a goal ruled out for offside, and Berke Özer’s double save in the 20th minute kept out Guimarães and Gyökeres. Then Jurriën Timber scored on 64 minutes from Noni Madueke’s pass, Eze added the second on 67 from a substitute Saka’s assist, and Saka made it 3-0 on 71, set up by Havertz, who had also come off the bench. The win was Arsenal’s 14th in a row in the league phase, while Lille suffered a ninth straight away defeat against English opposition in Europe and are still without a point after two matchdays.

Arsenal seventh in the league phase before Bayern Munich away on 21 October

After the full second round, Arsenal sit seventh of 36 on six points with a goal difference of plus four. Nine teams have a perfect record, with PSG, Barcelona and Aston Villa ahead on plus seven. The next fixture is the hardest away trip of the draw, Bayern Munich on 21 October, followed by Slavia Prague on 4 November. Dortmund are due at the Emirates on 24 November and Real Madrid on 9 December, the run that will decide whether a top-eight finish and a bye past the knockout play-off round is realistic.

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