In the first round of the Champions League main stage on September 16, 2025, Athletic and Arsenal will face off. Both Valverde and Arteta will be aiming for victory.
Our Prediction for the Athletic vs Arsenal Match
The club from Bilbao has been gradually improving under Ernesto. Not everything worked out in his first season back at San Mamés, but in 2024 the team won the cup. In the following campaign, after reaching the Europa League semifinals, they managed to finish fourth in La Liga. This result secured them a spot in the main European tournament, and before that, they started the domestic season with wins. However, they lost at home to Alavés 0-1—perhaps already thinking too much about the upcoming match?
The English side seems to have settled into second place in the Premier League. This was the case during Manchester City’s dominance and continued last season with Liverpool. In order to catch up with their rivals, Arsenal spent considerable sums on Zubimendi, Nørgaard, Madueke, Mosquera, Gyökeres, and Eze, and also brought in Hincapié on loan at the end of the transfer window. After opening with victories over Manchester United and Leeds, they lost to a direct competitor, Liverpool (who had spent even more on their players over the summer), albeit with several leaders injured in previous matches. After the break, they routed Nottingham Forest 3-0.
The Basques average two goals scored and concede one. The English team scores an average of 2.25 goals per game and concedes just 0.25.
Athletic vs Arsenal: Key Statistics and Trends
Athletic won three consecutive matches before the last round
67% of Bilbao's games end with goals from both teams and the average total goals per match is 3.0
Arsenal has won three of their last four matches
The English side averages 2.5 total goals per match
Athletic vs Arsenal: Probable Starting Lineups
Athletic (probable lineup): Unai Simón – Berchiche, Paredes, Vivian, Areso – Jauregizar, Prados, Sancet, N. Williams, I. Williams – Berenguer
Arsenal (probable lineup): Raya – Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber – Rice, Zubimendi, Merino – Martinelli, Gyökeres, Madueke
Previous Matches: Athletic vs Arsenal
The clubs last met only a month ago in the Emirates Cup. On that occasion, the English side won 3-0.
Free Prediction for Athletic vs Arsenal
The visitors from London still look impressive. We predict their victory (odds – 2.0).
