English Giants Face Tough Matches in Women’s Champions League Draw
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been dropped into the deep end of the revamped Women’s Champions League league phase – and there will be no gentle easing into Europe this season.
The draw in Nyon set up a string of heavyweight clashes, with English clubs scattered across the continent to face the game’s dominant forces and ambitious newcomers alike between September and December.
Arsenal walk straight into the fire
Arsenal’s path could hardly be more demanding. They must face holders Barcelona and serial champions Lyon in the league phase, a gauntlet that would test any side’s European credentials.
They will host Lyon, Benfica and HB Koge at home – the Danish side they comfortably beat home and away in 2021-22 – but the real drama lies on the road. Trips to Barcelona, Paris FC and Inter Milan will define their campaign and offer a sharp measure of where they stand among Europe’s elite.
Arsenal were drawn from pot one, yet their schedule reads like a greatest-hits tour of the modern women’s game. Every slip will be punished. Every point will matter.
Chelsea reunited with Lyon – and old memories
Chelsea, beaten finalists in 2020-21, have been handed a draw rich in storylines and potential pitfalls.
In London, they will welcome Paris St-Germain, Roma and Austria Wien, who make their debut in this league phase. Those home nights at Kingsmeadow will have to be ruthless; there is little margin for waste in a condensed, high-quality field.
The standout narrative, though, lies in France. Manager Sonia Bompastor will return to her former club Lyon, the record Champions League winners, in a reunion loaded with emotion and expectation. Chelsea will also travel to Swedish side Hacken and OH Leuven in Belgium, two assignments that carry far more danger than their lower profile suggests.
Like Arsenal, Chelsea started in pot one. Their draw, however, feels less like a reward and more like a test of whether they truly belong among the continent’s power brokers.
Manchester City back in Europe – and straight into Bayern
After sitting out European competition last season, Manchester City are back. Their reward for that domestic title? A place in pot three and a schedule that is tough, but not brutal.
City have avoided the absolute nightmare scenario, yet they will still have to navigate Bayern Munich away – a meeting with last season’s semi-finalists – as well as trips to Hacken and Inter Milan. Those three away days will shape their prospects long before the knockout rounds come into view.
At home, Andrée Jeglertz’s side will face PSG, Real Madrid and Austria Wien. It is a compelling mix: two established giants and a newcomer eager to make an impression. For City, who missed out on Europe entirely last term, these nights will feel like a return to where they believe they belong.
Barcelona, Bayern and a familiar grudge match
Elsewhere, the draw threw up one of the ties of the phase: Barcelona against Bayern Munich in Munich, a replay of their 2025-26 semi-final. The German side will also travel to face PSG, adding another layer of intrigue to a group of fixtures already heavy with subplots.
All 18 clubs were split into three pots of six and drawn against two opponents – one home, one away – from each pot. Arsenal and Chelsea sat among the top seeds; City, coming from pot three, now face the challenge of turning a “manageable” draw into actual progress.
The road to Warsaw
The league phase will run at a relentless pace. Matchday 1 arrives on 22 and 23 September, with the final round of fixtures squeezed into 16 December:
- Matchday 1: 22/23 September
- Matchday 2: 30 September/1 October
- Matchday 3: 28/29 October
- Matchday 4: 10/11 November
- Matchday 5: 18/19 November
- Matchday 6: 16 December
From there, the competition will sharpen again. Knockout phase play-offs land in February 2027, the quarter-finals in March and the semi-finals in early May. Warsaw will host the final in the last week of May.
By then, the stories will be written: whether Arsenal can survive a group of giants, whether Chelsea’s reunion with Lyon sparks a run or a reckoning, and whether Manchester City’s return to Europe becomes a statement or a sobering lesson.
