Arsenal return to Champions League action this Wednesday with a point to prove—and a streak to snap. After a dominant 2-0 win over Athletic to open their group campaign, Mikel Arteta’s side now face a familiar foe in Olympiacos, a team that has haunted them at the Emirates in recent years. With three consecutive home defeats to the Greek club, Arsenal are determined to end the hoodoo and take firm control of their group.
Arsenal Riding High After Strong Start
The Gunners kicked off their 2025/26 Champions League journey in convincing fashion, dispatching Athletic Club 2-0 with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. It was a statement performance from a side eager to re-establish themselves among Europe’s elite. Now, they welcome Olympiacos to North London, aiming to build on their early momentum—but history warns this fixture is anything but straightforward.
A Shift in the Balance: Olympiacos’ Surprising Run at the Emirates
Once a fortress against Greek sides, the Emirates Stadium has become an unexpected hunting ground for Olympiacos. Arsenal had gone unbeaten in their first eight home matches against Greek opposition, boasting six wins and two draws. That record included victories over Panathinaikos, PAOK, and Olympiacos themselves.
But everything changed on September 29, 2015. Olympiacos stunned the Gunners with a chaotic 3-2 victory that marked their first-ever win in North London. Despite goals from Theo Walcott and Alexis Sánchez, a David Ospina own goal and a late strike from Alfred Finnbogason secured the win for the visitors.
More Heartbreaks: Europa League Drama in 2020 and 2021
Five years later, the Greeks returned—and delivered another crushing blow. In the 2019/20 Europa League Round of 32, Olympiacos erased a first-leg deficit with a goal from Cissé to take the tie into extra time. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang appeared to rescue Arsenal in the 113th minute, but a last-gasp effort from Youssef El-Arabi in the 120th sent the visitors through on away goals, leaving the Emirates stunned.
Olympiacos struck again in March 2021, this time earning a 1-0 win in the second leg of the Europa League last-16. Thankfully for Arsenal, a 3-1 advantage from the first leg in Greece meant the defeat wasn’t fatal, but it added another layer to a growing pattern of Greek success in London.
Redemption Time for Arteta’s Men
Mikel Arteta now leads a different Arsenal—more mature, more ruthless, and with a deeper squad than in previous years. But even with improvements across the pitch, the psychological edge remains with Olympiacos, who have made the Emirates their unlikely playground.
Arsenal will need to be sharp, focused, and clinical if they want to end this unwanted streak and continue their perfect start in Europe. A win would not only keep them top of the group but also exorcise the ghosts of past European nights gone wrong.
