Arsenal have discovered their opponents for the group stages of the 2022/23 Europa League following the Europa League draw held earlier today.
Mikel Arteta’s men would have been disappointed to have missed out on Champions League football last time out as they looked to be on course to pip city rivals Tottenham Hotspur to fourth place before a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United in the penultimate matchday of the season saw them end up in fifth.
The Gunners have been drawn in Group A of the Europa League alongside Eredivisie runners-up PSV Eindhoven, Swiss champions FC Zurich and Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, who were all dumped out of the Champions League qualifiers.
In their last appearance in Europe’s secondary club competition, Arsenal were drawn with Dundalk, Molde and Rapid Wien and won all six of their group-stage matches before losing to eventual winners Villarreal in the last four.
That was the closest that Arsenal have come to going all the way since they were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea in the 2018/19 final in Baku under the tutelage of Unai Emery.
Arsenal will be keen to lay down an early marker on matchday 1 of this season’s Europa League which comes up on September 8.
In the meantime, the North Londoners prepare for the visit of Fulham to the Emirates Stadium tomorrow when a fourth league win from as many league games this term will be the prime target.
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s fellow Premier League outfit in the Europa League Manchester United have been drawn in Group E alongside Real Sociedad, Sheriff Tiraspol and Omonia FC from Spain, Moldova and Cyprus respectively.
Both Arsenal and United are favourites to go all the way in the tournament as they plot an alternative route to next year’s Champions League should they miss out on a top-four finish in the league.
