We’ll look to solidify our place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday (8pm UK) by maintaining the only 100% record left in the competition when we face Club Brugge for the first time.
We could win six in a row in the Champions League for the first time in a single campaign, but more importantly, should we triumph in Belgium, our tally of 18 points would be two more than was required for a top-eight finish last term, thus almost certainly seeing us avoid February’s play-off round.
Our opponents are under new management following Ivan Leko’s appointment on Monday after a run of one win in seven across all competitions. Despite the upheaval, they boast plenty of quality – shown by the fact they’ve suffered just one defeat in their last seven home matches in the Champions League.
Big call in Bruges
Monday brought the shock news that Brugge had parted ways with manager Nicky Hayen, who had been in charge since March 2024, with Ivan Leko poached from Gent to swiftly fill his shoes.
Brugge’s three-year stranglehold on the Belgian championship ended last term, as they were pipped to the title by Union Saint-Gilloise, but they are already five points behind the holders at the summit. They also trail Sint-Truiden after losing 3-2 to them on Saturday – their third loss in the last four league games, which was enough to see Hayen dismissed and Leko sign up for a third spell at the club as a player and manager.
They have had some success in Europe this season, defeating Salzburg and Rangers to get into the league phase and thrashing Monaco 4-1 in their Champions League opener. They then suffered defeats to Atalanta and Bayern Munich on the road, but Brugge led three times against Barcelona before eventually drawing 3-3, however a 3-0 loss at Sporting Lisbon a fortnight ago leaves them 26th in the table with four points.
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Everything you need to know about Club Brugge
What the managers say
Arteta: “We want to continue to do the job that we have started in the first five games. Tomorrow we are going to have our opening match against an opponent that has been very, very good. They have a new manager and a new manager always brings new energy, new ideas.
“We have prepared for that as well and tomorrow we have to show again that we are right at the top and be better than the opponents in this game.” – every word from Mikel’s pre-match press conference
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Every word from Arteta’s pre-Club Brugge presser
Leko: “This is a huge challenge. We’re playing in the Champions League and competing for the title. This squad is built to play good football. Everything is there on a sporting level. Emotionally, this is also my home. As a player, it was my first club in Belgium and I’ve never made a secret of the fact that my heart was blue and black.
“I’m not going to change much. The team is balanced and played good football. They know how to attack and defend. Don’t expect any revolutions or major surprises. I mainly want to help the players emotionally now, they need to process this too. “
Team news
William Saliba hasn’t travelled as he closes in on a return from his recent knock, but fellow centre-backs Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) and Gabriel (thigh) are still out.
Declan Rice (illness) and Leandro Trossard (knock) also didn’t board the plane to Belgium, while Max Dowman has suffered an ankle injury playing for our under-21s on the weekend, but has been replaced by Gabriel Jesus in our Champions League squad. Kai Havertz continues to rehab his knee injury sustained back in August.
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Gabriel Jesus registered for UEFA Champions League
Having already lost Simon Mignolet to a groin injury earlier in the campaign, backup keeper Nordic Jackers suffered broken ribs a couple of weeks ago against Sporting, so third-choice stopper Dani van den Heuvel will continue to deputise.
They’ll hope that Romeo Vermant will be fit again after he missed the past two games through concussion, but central midfielders Ludovit Reis (shoulder) and Lynnt Audoor (muscle) are also doubts, while centre-back Zaid Romero is battling a back issue.
Talking tactics
Adrian Clarke: If you include the qualifiers, Brugge have scored 16 goals in four home matches in this season’s Champions League, including three against Barcelona, so we should expect a goal threat.
In Europe they are happy absorbing pressure in the hope of catching opponents cold on the break, with speedy right winger Carlos Forbs, recently capped by Portugal, especially potent from those situations. Only two sides in the competition have produced more ‘direct attacks’ than our opponents.
Their best player is 33-year-old Belgium international Hans Vanaken [above]. He is very tall but plays as a central No.10, reaching double figures for goals in each of the last 14 seasons! In the league phase, he leads Brugge’s players for possession won as well as interceptions and chances created, so he is very much an all-rounder.
We should be able to create plenty of chances; of the 36 teams, Brugge are the only side to have faced more than 100 shots to date. Conceding 13 times, including 10 in their last three games, they are far from watertight at the back.
Facts and stats
Club Brugge have faced 12 different English sides in European competition, but this will be their first against us. They have only won one of their last 18 matches against English opposition (D3 L14), although that did come in the Champions League last term against Aston Villa.
Our last defeat against a Belgian side came in October 1981 at KFC Winterslag in the UEFA Cup. We are unbeaten in our last nine such matches (W7 D2), including our last four away from home.
We have won six of our last seven away games in the Champions League.
Club Brugge have conceded 24 Champions League goals in 11 games in 2025, with only Barcelona (27 in 13 games) conceding more. They’ve also faced the joint-most shots on target (73) and the most expected goals against (23.5) of any side.
We have won our last nine Champions League group/league phase matches, scoring 27 goals and conceding just three. The only English side to win 10 group games in a row are Liverpool between September 2022 and January 2025 (12).
We have given up an xG of just 2.59 in the Champions League this season, the smallest of any side, and have faced just nine shots on target, also the fewest. We’ve also given away just five big chances, two less than anyone else.
Carlos Forbs has had a hand in six goals in his six home appearances in major European competition across spells with Ajax and Brugge (3 goals, 3 assists), scoring or assisting four of Brugge’s seven goals on home soil in Europe this term.
Gabriel Martinelli has scored in all four of his Champions League appearances this season – no Gunner has ever scored in five games in a row in the competition.
Bukayo Saka has had a hand in 19 goals across his 22 Champions League appearances (12 goals, 7 assists), scoring in each of his last four away games in Europe.
Match officials
German official Sven Jablonski will take charge of this game, which will be his first time handling one of our fixtures, or indeed Club Brugge. He has been refereeing in the Bundesliga for the past eight years, and was added to the FIFA list in 2022.
A bank clerk by day, Jablonski took charge of his first Champions League encounter last month, while in 12 appointments this season across all competitions, he is yet to show a red card and has issued just one penalty.
Referee: Sven Jablonski (GER)
Assistants: Eduard Beitinger, Lasse Koslowski (GER)
Fourth official: Tobias Reichel (GER)
VAR: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
Assistant VAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
History with Belgian opponents
This may be the first time we have played Club Brugge, but our previous clashes with Belgian opposition have been fruitful. We came up against RFC Liege in our first-ever season in European football in 1963/64, losing 4-2 on aggregate, but in 1970 we beat Anderlecht 4-3 on aggregate to win the Fairs Cup.
Matches against them and Standard Liege have been the most common over the years, including our biggest European away win, a 7-0 triumph against the latter in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.
Our last meeting with a Belgian side also came against Standard, back in 2019. After an 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli had scored twice in a 4-0 home success, another teen in Bukayo Saka came to the fore in the reverse fixture, assisting Alexandre Lacazette before scoring himself to salvage a 2-2 draw in the Europa League.
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Silverware and a 7-0: Our history v Belgian teams
Live coverage
Live From N5 is the place to be for live commentary of all our men’s first-team games across 2025/26.
Tune in from just before kick-off, when Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke will once again be behind the mics to guide you through the on-field action.
You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the action live, wherever you are in the world.
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How to watch Club Brugge v Arsenal live on TV
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