The Champions League returns this week for the penultimate round of league phase fixtures.
Arsenal are top of the pile with a perfect return of six wins from six games, with the likes of Bayern Munich, defending champions PSG, and Manchester City hot on their heels. Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, and Chelsea are all currently knocking on the door of the top-8.
Here’s a look at the key stats and records to keep an eye on in Gameweek 7, featuring the six Premier League representatives.
Stats you might see
Bodo/Glimt vs Manchester City
- Pep Guardiola could become only the third manager to win 25+ Champions League away games with one club.
Manchester City have lost ground to Arsenal in the Premier League but they will be hoping to keep pace with the Gunners in the Champions League. The 2022-23 victors currently sit 4th with four wins on the board, five points off the league phase leaders.
City will expect to grab three points on the road at Bodo/Glimt in a game which could see Pep Guardiola become only the third manager to accumulate 25 Champions League away wins in charge of a single club, something only Sir Alex Ferguson (39 at Manchester United) and Arsene Wenger (30 at Arsenal) have achieved.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland is hunting a seventh consecutive Champions League goal. If he scores, he would become the first Norwegian to net against a Norwegian side in the competition.
Inter Milan vs Arsenal
- Arsenal could set a new club record of seven straight Champions League wins and simultaneously win a game in Italy for the first time since 2008.
Arsenal have a three point cushion at the summit, having won all six of their games so far. Mikel Arteta’s side face a stern test away to last season’s runners-up Inter Milan, who are six points behind in 6th.
Arsenal’s recent record in Italy is poor. They’ve failed to win away to an Italian side in their last five Champions League games – four of which they’ve lost – since March 2008, scoring just one goal during this fruitless run.
However, victory in Milan would not only see Arsenal end this run in Italy, but set a new club record of seven straight wins in the competition.
The Gunners may well look to Gabriel Martinelli for inspiration. The winger has scored in all five of his Champions League appearances this season, and a goal on Tuesday would mark the longest scoring streak by a Brazilian player in the history of the competition.
Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund
- Tottenham could extend their unbeaten home to streak to 24 matches in European competition.
Tottenham’s Premier League home form has been woeful – they’ve lost 16 top-flight matches on home soil since the start of last season – but their European record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tells a very different story. Spurs are currently enjoying a 23-game unbeaten home run in European club competition, a streak that stretches back six years.
With pressure mounting on Thomas Frank, he desperately needs a result against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The Dane can take confidence from Spurs’ flawless home record in this season’s Champions League, having won all three games without conceding – a feat no other side has managed in the competition so far.
Chelsea vs Pafos
- Chelsea are aiming to stretch their unbeaten home record in the Champions League group/league stage to 18 games.
Liam Rosenior will become the first manager in history to compete in four different competitions in his first four matches in charge of an English top-flight club.
Rosenior has so far overseen Chelsea in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Premier League, now he’s set for a Champions League clash at home to Cypriot side Pafos.
Chelsea can draw on an impressive home record in the Champions League group/league phase, where they’ve gone 17 games unbeaten dating back to 2019, and won all three so far this season. In fact, the Blues have only lost two of their last 62 UEFA competition group/league phase matches at Stamford Bridge.
Marseille vs Liverpool
- Marseille and Liverpool could play out a Champions League draw for the first time in a combined 58 matches.
Liverpool head to France unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions, although they have been somewhat underwhelming during this run, which includes a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley last weekend.
Liverpool have now drawn four of their last five league and cup matches, yet, they haven’t played out a draw in the Champions League in 25 games stretching back to 2022.
Similarly, Marseille have been allergic to draws in the competition, having gone 32 games without sharing the points.
These are currently the longest current runs without a draw in the competition.
Newcastle vs PSV
- Newcastle will be looking to claim a fifth straight home win against Dutch opposition.
Newcastle boast an impressive record against Dutch opposition, having won seven of their last nine encounters.
The Magpies are currently on a four-game winning streak at home against teams from the Netherlands and will be keen to extend it to five on Wednesday as they look to break into the top eight.
