Top 20 streaks revealed 

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Arsenal certainly came out with their heads held high after their first leg Champions League semi-final at the Metropolitano. The game finished 1-1 after a penalty was converted for both the Gunners and the hosts Atlético Madrid. Although, the north London team will feel somewhat aggrieved they weren’t awarded another late spot-kick, after VAR had deemed the on-field decision to award a penalty for a foul on Eberechi Eze as a clear and obvious error. After the game, Mikel Arteta said, “You cannot overlook a decision at this level when you have to look thirteen times. It’s completely unacceptable.”

Nevertheless, a 1-1 draw in the away leg is not a bad result for Arsenal, and they have the opportunity to make just their second ever Champions League final should they win at the Emirates next Tuesday. The result also means that Arteta’s team remain unbeaten in all of their 13 games in the competition this season. That equals the Gunners longest unbeaten streak in the Champions League, but where does it rank among all teams in Europe’s most prestigious tournament since its revamp in 1992?

Longest unbeaten streaks in Champions League history

Leading the way with an incredible streak, that is almost double that of the current Arsenal run, is Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. Between 2007-2009, the Red Devils went as many as 25 Champions League matches unbeaten, winning the 2008 trophy in the process. The streak began with a win against Sporting in the group stages in 2007 and ended with defeat to Barcelona in the 2009 final. In second place is Manchester City, who went 22 Champions League games unbeaten under Pep Guardiola between 2022-2024 – winning it in 2023.

Bayern Munich have impressively put together two 19-game unbeaten streaks – between 2019-21 and 2001-02, whilst Ajax managed a 19-match unbeaten run between 1994-1996. Barcelona went 16 games unbeaten between 2011-12, with Man United managing two 16-game unbeaten runs: between 2001-02 and 1998-99. The 15-time winners Real Madrid’s longest unbeaten streaks is 15 matches – between 2016-2017.

Arsenal’s current streak now ranks them 16th on the list, equalling their club record streak from 2005-06 when they got to the final and lost to Barcelona. Should the Gunners avoid defeat against Atléti in the return leg at the Emirates, they will climb to 11th, and then if they were able to win the final, they would move to ninth.