The Women's Champions League league phase draw has given Chelsea the kindest route on paper, while Arsenal face a much tougher challenge against some of Europe's biggest clubs.
The road to European glory is about to begin.
With the 2026/27 UEFA Women's Champions League league phase now drawn, Europe's top clubs know exactly what stands between them and a place in the knockout rounds.
The competition enters its second season under the expanded league-phase format, with each of the 18 teams facing six different opponents across the opening stage.
But not every team has been handed the same challenge.
Using the Opta Power Rankings, which rate teams based on their performances and strength across the women's game, the difficulty of each club's six fixtures can be assessed by taking the average rating of their opponents.
And for the English sides, there is a clear difference between the draws.
Chelsea Have One of the Easiest Draws
Of the BWSL clubs involved, Chelsea appear to have been handed the most favourable route.
Their six opponents have an average Opta Power Rating of 83.0, making their fixture list joint-easiest in the competition alongside Juventus.
That doesn't mean Sonia Bompastor's side have been given a completely straightforward route.
Chelsea will travel to reigning European champions OL Lyonnes, while they will also host Paris Saint-Germain, two clubs with plenty of Champions League pedigree.
However, the rest of the draw offers Chelsea an opportunity to build points.
They will face Roma, BK Häcken, Austria Wien and OH Leuven, with the latter ranked as the second-lowest team in the competition according to the Opta Power Rankings.
Their league phase will conclude away at OH Leuven on December 16.
Chelsea's opening fixture comes on September 23, when they host Austria Wien, before travelling to OL Lyonnes a week later.
The Blues will then face Roma, Häcken, PSG and OH Leuven to complete their six games.
On paper, it is a draw that gives Chelsea a strong opportunity to put themselves in a position to qualify directly for the quarter-finals.
Arsenal Face One of the Toughest Draws Among the Favourites
For Arsenal, the picture is slightly more complicated.
The Gunners have been handed two of the toughest possible opponents from Pot 1, with Barcelona away and OL Lyonnes at home.
That means Renee Slegers' side will face both finalists from last season's competition during the league phase.
Barcelona are the reigning champions and will once again be among the favourites to lift the trophy, while OL Lyonnes reached the final last season before losing to Barça.
Arsenal's other four opponents are Benfica, Paris FC, HB Køge and Inter Milan.
That creates an interesting contrast within their draw.
The top end is extremely difficult, but the remaining fixtures offer Arsenal opportunities to pick up points and build momentum.
The Gunners will also be unable to face fellow English side Chelsea during the league phase, with clubs from the same association prevented from meeting at this stage.
For Arsenal, therefore, the challenge will be navigating two major tests while making sure they don't drop points against the sides they are expected to beat.
Barcelona Face Bayern Munich and Arsenal in Title Defence
The reigning champions have also been given a relatively favourable draw overall, although there are two fixtures that immediately stand out.
Barcelona will travel to Bayern Munich before hosting Arsenal.
Both sides are among the strongest teams in Europe, making those two games the obvious tests of their league-phase campaign.
Beyond that, however, the holders have avoided some of the biggest possible threats.
Their other opponents include Paris FC, HB Køge and Servette, three of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition according to the Opta Power Rankings.
Barcelona also have a strong historical record against those opponents, having never lost to any of the three in European competition.
However, this season's Barcelona side will look slightly different.
The Spanish champions have lost several major players, including Salma Paralluelo and Ona Batlle, while former captain Alexia Putellas has made the move to London City Lionesses.
That could make their league-phase campaign particularly interesting.
Which Teams Have the Toughest League Phase Draws?
While Chelsea sit towards the favourable end of the rankings, some clubs have been handed a much more difficult route.
The Opta model highlights Sabah as having the toughest fixture list overall, while Slavia Prague also rank among the sides facing the most difficult schedules.
For the biggest clubs, however, the fixture list is less about avoiding difficult opponents altogether and more about how those challenges are distributed.
Arsenal's draw is a perfect example.
They will have to deal with Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, but also have four fixtures where they will be expected to take maximum points.
That could make every result important when the final league-phase table is decided.
How the Women’s Champions League League Phase Works
The new format means every match carries significant weight.
After the six matchdays, the top four teams will qualify directly for the quarter-finals, while those finishing fifth through 12th will enter the knockout phase play-offs for the remaining four quarter-final places.
That makes the difference between finishing in the top four and dropping into the play-offs potentially crucial.
For Chelsea, their favourable draw could provide a valuable opportunity to finish among those top four.
For Arsenal, meanwhile, the challenge is much greater — but successfully navigating the Barcelona and OL Lyonnes tests could send an important message about their ambitions in Europe.
With the first fixtures arriving on September 22 and 23, the road to the final in Warsaw is officially beginning.
And while the draw never tells the whole story, the numbers suggest that some clubs have certainly been handed a kinder journey than others.
