Champions League Preview: Napoli vs. Arsenal | OneFootball

The biggest club competition in world football is back with a bang. UEFA Champions League kicks off this week with several marquee matchups, including Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday. Wednesday’s spotlight will be on the sunny south of Italy as Napoli host last season’s runner-up Arsenal. The Partenopeiwill be determined to make up for last year’s embarrassing league phase exit, while the Gunners have trophy aspirations.

Match Details

Who: Napoli vs. ArsenalWhat: UEFA Champions LeagueWhere: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli, ItalyWhen: Wednesday September 9, 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PTWatch: Paramount+, ViX

Last Year’s Results

The 2025/26 Champions League campaign went very differently for Napoli and Arsenal. It was a humiliating display from the reigning Italian champions, as they crashed out in the league phase. Napoli finished 30th of 36, the lowest of the four Serie A representatives. The lowest of the low came on matchday three, as they were thrashed 6-2 at the hands of Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. Napoli’s campaign was ended by a 3-2 home loss to Chelsea on the final matchday, a game in which they needed a win and blew a 2-1 lead.

On the other side, Arsenal’s campaign went almost perfectly. They became the first team to win all eight league phase matches under the new format. That meant a bye to the round of 16, where the Gunners beat Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a 2-0 home win in the second leg. Mikel Arteta’s side then showed off their defensive solidity in the quarterfinals, narrowly taking down Sporting CP 1-0 on aggregate. The semifinals were also close, but Arsenal got the job done at home once again. They beat Atlético Madrid 1-0 in the second leg to book a ticket to the final in Budapest. Unfortunately for Arsenal, they came up short. Gabriel sent his penalty into orbit and the Gunners were defeated at the final hurdle by Paris Saint-Germain.

Napoli Struggling After Early Season Gauntlet

It hasn’t been an easy start to the new season for Napoli. They kicked off their Serie A campaign with a 2-0 away win at Genoa, with both goals coming in the final 10 minutes. That victory is still their only points of the season. Napoli faced last season’s surprise package Como in their second match and lost 2-1 to Cesc Fàbregas and company. They then had a trip to the San Siro last weekend to take on Serie A champions Inter Milan. It was a hard fought game, but Inter showed their class with a 3-2 win. Now it gets even harder with a match against Arsenal.

To breach Arsenal’s stellar defense, Napoli will need their attack to be at their best. That includes striker Rasmus Højlund, who has started the season well. The former Manchester United flop found new life with Napoli last season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions. He scored in the defeats to Como and Inter and will be looking to net for the third straight match on Wednesday.

The biggest challenge for Napoli will be the absence of Scott McTominay. Since joining the club in the summer of 2024, the Scottish midfielder has been one of the best players in Serie A. He was forced off in the 56th minute against Como due to a mild, benign arrhythmia, which occurs when there’s an irregular heartbeat. Thankfully, McTominay underwent a successful medical procedure and is expected to be back in action after the upcoming international break.

Arsenal Already In Midseason Form

Most teams look a little rusty when the new season starts. Not Arsenal. If anything, they look even better than they did last year. The reigning Premier League champions have won all four of their matches so far. It started with a 3-0 domination of Manchester City in the Community Shield. They then started their title defense with a 3-0 win over newly promoted Coventry City. A 1-0 away victory over Aston Villa and a 2-1 comeback win over Chelsea capped off Arsenal’s excellent start.

Arsenal’s strongest area of the pitch is their defense, and that has held true to start the 2026/27 season. Through four matches the Gunners have only conceded once, a second minute goal by Morgan Rogers of Chelsea. That includes games against last season’s second and fourth place finishers in the Premier League. David Raya continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world and was just nominated for the Yashin Trophy. Despite the memes that came from his penalty miss, Gabriel has a very real argument for being the best center back in the world. New signing Ezri Konsa started for England in the World Cup. It’s going to be very difficult to score past Arsenal this season.

On the other end of the pitch, their attack is in red hot form. Captain Martin Ødegaard faced heavy criticism for his underwhelming campaign last year but seems to be back to his best. The Norwegian has scored in three of Arsenal’s four games and was named Player of the Match in two of them. Arsenal’s Champions League final goalscorer Kai Havertz has also scored three times. New left winger Christos Tzolis absolutely tore up the Belgian league last season and has adjusted well to life in England. He provided two assists in the Community Shield and another against Chelsea over the weekend. Arsenal are a juggernaut right now and it will take something special to beat them.

The Hooligan Take

Napoli are a good side that should qualify for the knockout phase this year, but this is one of the hardest tests any team will face in the Champions League. Arsenal are firing on all cylinders and look near unbeatable, while Max Allegri’s team are on a downward trajectory after losses to Como and Inter. Add in the absence of McTominay and this match gets even tougher for the Italians. Arsenal will pick up another clean sheet and start their Champions League campaign with a win.

Prediction: Napoli 0-2 Arsenal