​MONACO, MONACO – AUGUST 27: Thierry Henry draws the card of Arsenal FC during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 27, 2026 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Claudio Lavenia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images The full Champions League schedule released on Saturday, August 29th, and I must say, Arsenal haven’t gotten many breaks. The Champions League is not easy and the fixture timings aren’t going to do the Gunners any favors this time around. That’s why you build a deep squad, I suppose. Mikel Arteta will have his work cut out for him to manage minutes and make sure the right players are rested and ready for the key matches.MD 1: Sep. 9, 2026 – Napoli (A)MD 2: Oct. 13, 2026 – Lille (H)MD 3: Oct. 21, 2026 – Bayern Munich (A)MD 4: Nov. 4, 2026 – Slavia Praha (A)MD 5: Nov. 24, 2026 – Borussia Dortmund (H)MD 6: Dec. 9, 2026 – Real Madrid (H)MD 7: Jan. 20, 2027 – Real Betis (A)MD 8: Jan. 27, 2027 – Sabah (H)There are several tough stretches of matches when viewed alongside the Premier League fixtures. Inexplicably, Arsenal are the only Pot One side to open their CL slate with three away matches to one home. All seven other Pot One sides have an even 2-2 split home and away. Here’s how Arsenal’s schedule lines up with those matches interspersed:Arsenal v. Chelsea, Sept. 6Arsenal @ Napoli, Sept. 9Arsenal @ Sunderland, Sept. 12Arsenal v. Leeds, Oct. 10Arsenal v. Lille, Oct. 13Arsenal @ Nottingham Forest Oct. 18Arsenal @ Bayern Munich Oct. 21Arsenal vs. Everton Oct. 24Arsenal vs. Liverpool Nov. 1Arsenal @ Slavia Praha Nov. 4Arsenal vs. Hull City Nov. 7Arsenal @ Newcastle Nov. 21Arsenal vs. Dortmund Nov. 24Arsenal vs. Manchester City Nov. 28Arsenal @ Spurs Dec. 5Arsenal vs. Real Madrid Dec. 9Arsenal vs. Bournemouth Dec. 12Arsenal @ Hull Jan. 16Arsenal @ Real Betis Jan 20Arsenal vs. Newcastle Jan 23Arsenal vs. Sabah Jan 27Home to Chelsea for PL MD3 then immediately away to Napoli three days later is an unpleasant way to start the League Phase. That Lille, @Forest, @Bayern, Everton stretch could be tricky. Matches @Newcastle, Dortmund, City is a really tough stretch, as is @Spurs, Madrid, Bournemouth.On the other hand, the schedule is what it is. All the clubs in Europe play at the same frequency, so fatigue will be a factor for them, too. Who knows how injuries will play out. The Gunners may have more comfortable stretches of matches around the knockouts (should they get there, which, let’s be real, they should) with so many of their tough PL fixtures coming in the middle third of the calendar. The football calendar is brutal.*I’ll point out RE: the header image of Thierry Henry that he read our club’s name as “The Arsenal” and read every single other one as “[club] FC” as written on the paper. Proper. That man is Arsenal through and through.