New rule UEFA are implementing will have a direct impact on Arsenal’s Champions League draw

The Champions League draw takes place tomorrow, and Arsenal fans are eager to plan their European travel schedules.

Mikel Arteta’s side were the only team to go a perfect eight from eight in last season’s League Phase, meaning they went straight into the last 16.

A repeat this season would again avoid the dreaded play-off round, and having gone agonisingly close in Budapest, there is a real belief this could be Arsenal’s year.

The draw takes place at 5pm on Thursday, with Arsenal in Pot One alongside PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

They will face eight of the other 35 clubs across the League Phase — two from each pot, one home and one away.

As usual, they cannot be drawn against another Premier League side.

But there is a new additional rule this year that Arsenal fans should be aware of.

A new Champions League rule prevents Arsenal from being drawn away to Inter

As per Ryan Taylor, a new UEFA rule prevents any individual fixture from being repeated with the same home team if it has already been played in each of the past two seasons.

Arsenal lost 1-0 at Inter Milan in 2024-25 and won 3-1 at San Siro in January, meaning they cannot be drawn away to Inter in this season’s League Phase.

They can, however, still host Inter at the Emirates.

It’s a small change, but one that keeps the League Phase from becoming too repetitive and stale.

A trip to the San Siro is one of European football’s great occasions, but it is also one of the more difficult away days.

By the same token, it does remove one of the ‘easier’ possible Pot One away draws. They must now go to either PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or Atletico Madrid.

There are some fascinating narratives among those options, but it might be nice to play Barcelona for a change.

Let’s see — tomorrow’s draw could be very interesting indeed.