As the 2025-26 Champions League league stage and playoff knockout round have wrapped up, all six English Premier League clubs are on edge—some nervously, some excitedly—awaiting news of their next opponents.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, and Chelsea all made it to the Round of 16, continuing English dominance in Europe this season. Meanwhile, Newcastle United crushed Qarabag 9-3 over two legs—a scoreline that ranks among the biggest in Champions League history.
Although the official draw is still needed to finalize matchups, the potential pairings for each club are becoming clearer, and some nightmare scenarios loom.
Premier League Clubs’ Potential Opponents
The six English sides in Europe’s last 16 now have a good sense of who they might face. Liverpool and Tottenham, who secured progression early on matchday eight, share the same pool of potential opponents.
Both Arne Slot at Liverpool and newly-appointed Igor Tudor at Tottenham are under pressure due to contrasting Premier League campaigns, but they’ll be optimistic about facing either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray.
Arsenal, guided by Mikel Arteta, dominated the league phase as group winners. They could meet a Bundesliga heavyweight, with Atalanta or Bayer Leverkusen among the likely challengers for the north London side.
Manchester City’s path looks trickier. Pep Guardiola’s side narrowly avoided the playoffs with a final-day win and could now face Real Madrid or Bodo/Glimt—teams that have already beaten them this season.
Chelsea could meet Newcastle or reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, presenting a stern test for Liam Rosenior, who remains unbeaten in his first six games at Stamford Bridge. A clash with PSG—Chelsea’s Club World Cup final opponents—would certainly test that streak.
Arsenal Lead Opta’s Champions League Power Rankings
According to statistics, Arsenal are the team best positioned to win Europe’s top competition. The Gunners boast a perfect 100/100 rating on Opta’s Power Rankings, making them the highest-rated side in the world and signaling a real chance to end their long-standing Champions League drought.
They breezed through the league phase, winning all eight matches, scoring 23 goals, and conceding only four. Based on these performances, Arsenal are given a 24% chance of lifting the trophy—the highest in the competition—followed by Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
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