Arsenal's Champions League record: stats and history 

Introduction

Professional players and managers from all over the globe are drawn to the Champions League like moths to a flame. Not only is it the top club competition in Europe but it is widely regarded as the top club trophy on the planet.

Although technically, the FIFA World Club encompasses all leagues in the world, the top four or five leagues in world football are situated in Europe, so the team that rises to the top of this pile and wins the Champions League is considered the best in the world. Despite not winning the trophy, the Gooners have a decorated European presence, and their history in the competition is deep, varied and longstanding.

European heritage

Highbury and the Emirates have played host to some of the greatest ever European nights in North London. No English club has qualified for the Champions League as often as the Gooners. Although the likes of Chelsea, City, Manchester United and Liverpool have won it, only one of these clubs has the long, historic and consistent qualification of Arsenal.

The Gooners have reached the Cup Winners Cup Final, the UEFA Cup Final and the Champions League Final, which few other clubs on the continent can boast. It has been over 60 years since they first appeared in any European competition, and although the Champions League is a reasonably new reinvention, Arsenal's heritage stretches back much further.

As football grew throughout the 1990s and 2000s into a considerable global conglomerate, it became more accessible to tens of millions of people. It wasn’t just television platforms that cultivated a global audience – there was a significant rise in merchandise sales and subsidiary markets such as football gambling. Subsequently, this resulted in the overall size of the market expanding rapidly.

During this same period, the Gooners were one of the top teams in Europe, indirectly benefiting as a result of the heightened visibility of football via the internet. This led to a noticeable increase in many English football fans using a digital platform to bet, or using the internet to keep up to date via fan sites and forums.

Top Champions League moments and stats

Thierry Henry is Arsenal's top goal scorer in the Champions League and has played in over 80 games in Europe for Arsenal. There's no shortage of electric, unforgettable moments that the Frenchman provided in the Champions League during his eight unbelievable years at Highbury. From the 5-1 win against Inter Milan at the San Siro to an outrageous outside-of-the-foot goal against Sparta Prague, Henry was often the chief instigator of the best Champions League moments in Arsenal's history.

Many Arsenal fans would agree that Henry's finest moment in Europe came during the pivotal season when the Gooners reached the Champions League Final, narrowly missing out in 2006 against Barcelona. 

However, it was the one-man dismantling of Barcelona's chief rivals Real Madrid in front of their home support that put Thierry in the shop window for Barcelona for the Catalonians to acquire his services the following summer. It was there where he continued to torment Madrid, scoring twice at the Bernabéu in a 6-2 win in 2009, when they eventually went on to win La Liga and the Champions League. 

Arsenal qualified for every Champions League in consecutive seasons from the beginning of the 21st century until 2016. No other English club can match this achievement. The Gooners also have over 100 wins collectively in the competition, and returned to the competition this season.

 Current Arsenal squad

Aside from a tiny blip, the Gooners are doing well, sitting at the top of their group with three wins in four. While they might lag behind Manchester City for favourites for this year's title, many fans believe Arsenal are back where they belong. Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs to have never won the European Cup or Champions League, and Mikel Arteta will be keen to be the first man to bring the trophy to the Emirates.

Many believe that the current squad isn't too far off from challenging the elite European clubs. Manchester City are the defending champions, but with increasing concern at the Etihad regarding potential charges looming over them, and other top European clubs in the process of losing some of their stalwarts, Arteta's men could make a serious push for the Champions League at some point within the next few years.

Conclusion

Despite Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Manchester United getting over the finish line and winning the Champions League, Arsenal have a strong case for a more consistent performance than many of the teams on that list. By appearing so often in the premier competition in Europe and continuing to operate in the higher echelons of European football, Arsenal is in a prime position to make another stab at lifting ‘Big Ears’ and cementing this current team into folklore.