Having enjoyed a strong start to the season, Gunners fans had been looking forward to a Champions League draw that they hoped would see them stay close to home and face inferior opposition.

However, following a draw that will see the Gunners head to Belgrade, Ukraine and Portugal, the club's battle to win their first major trophy in five years will be made all the more difficult with all the travelling the Champions League group stages will entail.

In the past long trips for away games in Europe have led to Arsenal underperforming in subsequent league matches and this season the players need to prove they are capable of cutting it in the Premier League no matter how tough their preparations have been. The Bolton betting suggests Arsenal should be beating sides of that ilk all the time, but all too often they have slipped up to mid-table sides after a Champions League match.

However, the trickiest of these battles this season will be the return from Belgrade to face current Premier League and FA Cup holders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Gunners will not want to lose ground on their London rivals in what the Betfair Football odds suggest will be a close title race and so will need to be at their very best.

Should they overcome these obstacles and manage to secure their passage through the group stages and while picking up points in the league at the same time, then the Gunners may well find themselves in a position where they can realistically challenge for honours domestically and in Europe.

However, if they fall short of this then they are unlikely to put their trophy-less years behind them.