Arsenal in nightmare fixture pile-up as Champions League schedule released

Arsenal have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen over two legs, but are in for a hectic period of play as a result

Arsenal will be forced to play five games in 15 games in April, as the true cost of success domestically and in Europe is unveiled.

The Gunners are through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League thanks to a 3-1 aggregate win over Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16, as Mikel Arteta looks to rack up numerous pieces of silverware in 2025/26. Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at the BayArena a week ago, with Robert Andrich's second-half strike cancelled out by Kai Havertz's late penalty.

On Tuesday evening at the Emirates Stadium, however, the north London outfit proved far more dominant, Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scoring either side of half-time to secure a convincing 2-0 win. As a result, Arsenal will now face Sporting CP in the quarter-finals of Europe's premiere football competition come April.

However, as a result of remaining in the FA Cup, as well as Premier League commitments, the start of next month will prove incredibly challenging in terms of physical endurance and resilience due to a jam-packed schedule.

While Arsenal will have a week-long break through the March international break after their Carabao Cup final clash with Manchester City come Sunday, March 22, awaiting them on the other side is a staggering five matches over the space of 15 days with little respite.

The Gunners take on Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup come Saturday, April 4 at St Mary's, before they return to Champions League action against Sporting CP in Lisbon three days later.

A Premier League fixture with Bournemouth at home follows on Saturday, April 11, before their Champions League reverse at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 14.

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Arsenal's challenging period of play then comes to a close on Saturday, April 19 with an all-important title race decider against Manchester City at the Etihad. Arteta and his squad will then be able to breathe a breath of fresh air with a six-day break before they take on Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, April 25 in north London.

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