Arsenal have been handed a heavyweight Champions League campaign, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among the European giants standing in their way after Thursday's league-phase draw in Monaco.
The Gunners, who reached last season's final, will face another demanding route through the competition, while Manchester City have also been handed a headline clash against holders Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal's league-phase schedule immediately stands out.
Mikel Arteta's side will host Real Madrid at the Emirates before travelling to Germany to face Bayern Munich.
The Gunners will also meet Borussia Dortmund, Lille, Real Betis, Napoli, Slavia Prague and Sabah across their eight league-phase matches.
It means Arsenal will have to navigate some of Europe's biggest clubs if they are to secure one of the automatic qualification places for the knockout rounds.
The meeting with Real Madrid is particularly intriguing after Arsenal's run to the final last season.
Manchester City have also been given a major test.
The Premier League champions will face Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning Champions League holders, while Barcelona are another huge name on their schedule.
City will also play Napoli, Sporting CP, AEK Athens, Porto, RB Leipzig and Lens.
The PSG clash could be one of the standout matches of the entire league phase, with the French champions looking to defend their European crown.
England will have five representatives in this season's Champions League: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa.
Manchester United have been handed fixtures against Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid among others, while Liverpool will face Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid.
Aston Villa will also meet PSG, giving the Premier League another heavyweight European encounter.
The draw has therefore produced several potentially spectacular fixtures before the knockout rounds even begin.
The competition continues with the league-phase format introduced in the 2024/25 season.
There are 36 teams, with every club playing eight matches against eight different opponents.
Each team faces four opponents at home and four away, with the final league standings determining who progresses automatically, who enters the knockout play-offs and who is eliminated.
The first league-phase matches are scheduled for 8-10 September, while the full fixture schedule will be confirmed by UEFA shortly.
The draw has ensured that supporters will not have to wait until the knockout rounds for some of the competition's biggest encounters.
Arsenal against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Manchester City against PSG and Barcelona, and several other heavyweight fixtures could immediately shape the battle for the top eight.
With the league phase containing so many elite clubs, every result could have a major impact on the final standings.
The Champions League has delivered its first blockbuster moments of the new season — and Arsenal, Manchester City and the rest of England's representatives already know just how difficult the road to European glory will be.
●🔥 FIRE: Who received the toughest Champions League draw?
●⚽ GOAL: Can Arsenal beat Real Madrid and Bayern?
●😲 SHOCK: Which Champions League fixture are you most excited for?
●👍 LIKE: Can an English club win the trophy this season?
●💬 COMMENT: Who will finish highest among the five Premier League clubs?
