Arsenal draw Red Star Belgrade, FC BATE Borisov and FC Koln in Europa League group stage

New challenge | Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in Arsene Wenger's reign
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Vaishali Bhardwaj25 August 2017

Arsenal's Europa League group stage opponents have been confirmed as the Gunners were drawn with Red Star Belgrade, FC BATE Borisov and FC Koln in Group H on Friday.

The Gunners are playing in Uefa's second-tier competition for the first time in 20 years after failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in Arsene Wenger's two-decade reign at Arsenal despite beating Everton, who will also feature in the Europa League this season, on the final day of the 2016-17 season.

A poor run of form in the second half of the campaign resulted in the Gunners finishing fifth in the Premier League standings while Liverpool clinched the final Champions League spot with their final-day victory over Middlesbrough.

Despite that disappointment, Arsenal did end the season with a trophy after the north Londoners defeated city rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley in May.

They will now be hoping to win the Europa League, as Manchester United did last season, although AC Milan are favourites to reign victorious in the competition after their summer of heavy spending.

GROUP H
Arsenal
FC BATE Borisov
FC Koln
Red Star Belgrade

And Wenger will likely be happy with his side's group although the Gunners will need to travel to Serbia to take on Red Star Belgrade and Belarus for the game against BATE.