Arsenal’s Record in Champions League Semifinals

The Gunners have a worryingly mixed record in European semifinals.

Arsenal’s first Champions League semifinal came in 2005–06. | liewig christian/Corbis/Getty Images

For the first time in their storied history, Arsenal have reached successive Champions League semifinals.

After making the final four last season, the Gunners have repeated the feat this term following an epic Champions League campaign to date. They beat Sporting CP 1–0 on aggregate across a hard-fought quarterfinal tie to reach the final four and are still to taste defeat in this year’s competition.

Atlético Madrid are the next awkward adversaries for Arsenal, and the north Londoners’ lack of experience in Champions League semifinals could potentially undermine them as they scrap for a place in the showpiece event in Budapest next month.

Arsenal have rarely gone beyond the quarterfinals previously, but what is their record like once making it to the last four of Europe’s premier competition?

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Arsenal’s Record in Champions League Semifinals Examined

Arsenal were beaten in last year’s semifinal. | Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu/Getty Images

Arsenal only appeared twice in the old European Cup, never making it to the semis, and it was only on their eighth attempt after the competition’s rebranding to the Champions League that they finally made it beyond the last eight.

The Gunners sauntered into the semis in 2005–06 under Arsène Wenger in similar fashion to this season, going undefeated en route to a two-legged tie with Villarreal. Real Madrid and Juventus had both been eliminated earlier in the knockout phase in low-scoring affairs, and there was just one goal across 180 minutes against Villarreal.

Kolo Touré scored the only goal of the first leg and a goalless return fixture in Spain delivered a first Champions League final for the Gunners. Unfortunately, they were beaten 2–1 by Barcelona in the showpiece event itself, with Jens Lehmann’s early red card still haunting Arsenal nightmares.

They didn’t have to wait much longer for their second semifinal. The Gunners came up against fierce rivals and fellow Premier League outfit Manchester United in 2008–09. They had once again conquered Villarreal in the quarterfinal, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils proved a challenge too great, losing 4–1 on aggregate following some Cristiano Ronaldo magic in the second leg.

Arsenal’s European record since has been incredibly underwhelming, given the stature of the club, and it wasn’t until last season that they once again graced the semis. An emphatic quarterfinal victory over record champions Real Madrid had fans dreaming, but eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain swatted them aside in the last four, winning home and away to secure a 3–1 aggregate victory.

Mikel Arteta will be desperate to go a step further than this year’s semis, but the fact that Arsenal have won just one and lost two past ties at this stage is not the greatest omen.

Season	Semifinal Aggregate Score
2005–06	Arsenal 1–0 Villarreal
2008–09	Arsenal 1–4 Man Utd
2024–25	Arsenal 1–3 PSG
2025–26	TBD

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Arsenal’s Complete Semifinal Record in the Champions League

• Matches played: 6
• Wins: 1
• Draws: 1
• Defeats: 4
• Goal Difference: -4

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