Arsenal Seek to Break Olympiacos' North London Curse

On October 1st, 2025, Arsenal will be aiming to break a peculiar home curse when they welcome Greek champions Olympiacos to the Emirates Stadium for their second Champions League fixture. The Gunners are currently in superb form, sitting second in the Premier League. However, they face an Olympiacos side that has remarkably won on their last three consecutive visits to North London, a record that defies the clear difference in quality between the two teams.

Mikel Arteta's squad has no new injury concerns, and the manager is expected to rotate his lineup. Captain Martin Ødegaard and defender William Saliba are set to return to the starting XI. Nonetheless, the hosts will still be without key attackers Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Noni Madueke.

The visitors have a relatively fit squad, though Rodinei and Roman Yaremchuk are both unavailable. Chiquinho, who scored a last-minute winner at the weekend, is expected to feature in attack alongside the club's top scorer in Europe, Ayoub El Kaabi.

Arsenal's recent form has been excellent, having won eight of their last ten matches. Their 2-1 comeback victory at Newcastle on Sunday kept them within two points of the Premier League summit. Furthermore, their home defensive record in the Champions League is outstanding, having won nine of their last 12 home games without conceding a goal.

In contrast, the Greek champions are unbeaten and top of their domestic league, but their European form is a major concern. They began their campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to 10-man Pafos and have lost their last 10 consecutive away matches in the Champions League group stage.