Arsenal's battle to reach the Champions League dominated the final weeks of the 2021/22 Premier League season as the Gunners were eventually pipped by Tottenham Hotspur.
Losing out on a top-four finish was a bitter pill for Mikel Arteta and his players to swallow with their frustration deepened by their nearest rivals' success.
However, Arteta has looked to build a squad capable of mounting a renewed challenge on the domestic front this season, with Europe viewed as a bonus for the Basque coach.
Arteta is under pressure to bring Champions League football back to the Emirates Stadium in 2023/24 and a Europa League title offers an extra route to his objective.
Arsenal Europa League group and opponents in 2022/23
Arsenal qualified for the 2022/23 Europa League after finishing in 5th place in the Premier League last season.
The 32 teams that qualified for the group stage were split into four pots of eight teams each, with the Gunners in Pot 1, due to their UEFA coefficient ranking.
In Friday's draw, Arsenal were put in the following group:
Group A
- Arsenal
- PSV Eindhoven
- Bodo/Glimt
- FC Zurich
PSV Eindhoven
A familiar foe was first out of the hat for Arsenal, in PSV Eindhoven. The sides have been paired together three times in the Champions League, with their six fixtures seeing just two wins for then-Arsene Wenger's team.
One of those victories was their first ever meeting, in 2002, which included a goal after just 20 seconds for midfielder Gilberto Silva.
It was another Brazilian who made his mark in the most recent clash - Alex, who first scored an own goal and then sent Arsenal crashing out of the round of 16 at Emirates Stadium with a strike at the right end.
Bodo/Glimt
A new name for Arsenal fans comes in the form of Bodo/Glimt. The Norwegian club made a name for themselves in this competition a year ago, eliminating Scottish champions Celtic 5-1 on aggregate.
FC Zurich
The conquerors of Heart of Midlothian in the playoff round, FC Zurich, complete the group. The Swiss side have never played Arsenal before, and are back in European competition for the first time in four years.
Arsenal Europa League odds
Arsenal are 5/1 favourites with SkyBet to win the UEFA Europa League, ahead of domestic rivals Manchester United at 6/1.
| Club | Odds to win group (USA: FanDuel) |
Odds to win group; odds to qualify (UK: SkyBet) |
Odds to win group (Canada: SportsInteraction) |
Odds to win group (Australia: Bet365) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | -280 | 1/3 | 1.30 | TBC |
| PSV Eindhoven | +450 | 4/1 | 4.99 | TBC |
| Bodo/Glimt | +1100 | 10/1 | 11.98 | TBC |
| FC Zurich | +1700 | 12/1 | 14.98 | TBC |
Odds correct as of Aug. 26
Arsenal Europa League fixtures
In the coming days, UEFA will create a group schedule in which Arsenal will face the other three clubs home and away.
| Matchday | Date | Fixture | Time (UK) | Time (USA) | Time (Canada) | Time (Australia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep. 8-9, 2022 | @ Zurich | 17:45 BST | 12:45 ET | 12:45 ET | 02:45 AEST |
| 2 | Sep. 15-16, 2022 | vs. PSV | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 05:00 AEST |
| 3 | Oct. 6-7, 2022 | vs. Bodo/Glimt | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 06:00 AEDT |
| 4 | Oct. 13-14, 2022 | @ Bodo/Glimt | 17:45 BST | 12:45 ET | 12:45 ET | 03:45 AEDT |
| 5 | Oct. 27-28, 2022 | @ PSV | 17:45 BST | 12:45 ET | 12:45 ET | 03:45 AEDT |
| 6 | Nov. 3-4, 2022 | vs. Zurich | 20:00 GMT | 16:00 ET | 16:00 ET | 07:00 AEDT |
If Arsenal finish as one of the top two teams in their group at the end of the six group-stage matches, they will advance to the knockout stages, beginning with the round of 16.
| Round | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 playoffs | Feb. 16, 2023 | Feb. 23, 2023 |
| Round of 16 | Mar. 9, 2023 | Mar. 16, 2023 |
| Quarter-finals | Apr. 13, 2023 | Apr. 20, 2023 |
| Semi-finals | May 11, 2023 | May 18, 2023 |
| Final | May 31, 2023 | |
Arsenal Europa League history
After ending their long stint as a Champions League regular in 2017, Arsenal have endured a mixed record in the Europa League across the last five seasons.
A semi-final spot in 2018 was built on with defeat to Chelsea in the final in 2019, before falling short in the knockout stages in the following two campaigns.
Arteta failed to secure any European football for last season, after an 8th-placed Premier League finish in 2020/21, Arsenal's lowest since 1993.
| Season | Stage Reached | Eliminated by |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Semi-finals | Villarreal |
| 2019-20 | Round of 32 | Olympiakos |
| 2018-19 | Final | Chelsea |
| 2017-18 | Semi-finals | Atletico Madrid |
