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The Champions League returns on Tuesday with Arsenal and Tottenham in action - this week's fixtures Liverpool news conference with Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk - watch live at the top of this page Slot on confirms Alexander Isak is in the squad for tomorrow and says he is '100% sure' he won't play 90 minutes Virgil van Dijk on Isak: 'Very good impression, very eager. Obviously the quality he's been showing already since the first session' Later, Arsenal get their European campaign up and running at Athletic Bilbao (17: 45 BST) before Spurs open up against Villarreal (20: 00 BST) How does the format work? Are Liverpool favourites? Our experts' opinions Phil Mc Nulty taking your questions: I would not be questioning Wirtz's Premier League ability | Can Arsenal win the Champions League? | Slot 'trying to piece it all together' | Champions League could take its toll on Newcastle Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say Written by Craig Nelson, Sam Drury & Melissa Edwards. Newcastle United What do you think folks? How far can Newcastle go? Here's who the Magpies will face across the league phase: Phil Mc Nulty Q&A Phil Mc Nulty BBC Sport chief football writer Jack: What stage do you think Newcastle will reach in the Champions League this season? Hello, Jack. Newcastle United have some very tough games, starting with Barcelona on Thursday, and of course Marseille and holders Paris St-Germain away later in the league phase. In between, they do have winnable games, so my prediction would be for Newcastle to reach the play-off stage then it’s all to play for. What is certain is that there will be some great nights on Tyneside. I’m at St James’ Park on Thursday for the Barcelona game and can’t wait. Craig Nelson BBC Sport reporter OK, Phil Mc Nulty is with us so let's kick off his Q&A with one from Newcastle fan Jack. You can send Phil your football-related question - it doesn't have to be about the Champions League - by clicking the Get Involved button. Just remember to address your question to Phil. .. Tottenham v Villarreal (20: 00 BST) Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham captain Cristian Romero on performances so far under Thomas Frank: "We always focus on our jobs and our work. We have a great manager. We have a great defensive coach. We always want to improve. "If you take Bournemouth out, we've done well. We do our best no matter who we are playing against. It is always about increasing our performance and looking to improve. " Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say Spurs, apart from the last couple of years, were consistently doing well in the Champions League for the last decade. I'm sure Frank will do well this year, but we must remember that we brought him in to get back to being a consistent powerhouse, not last year's one-time half-glory. Max Tottenham v Villarreal (20: 00 BST) Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham boss Thomas Frank on playing in the Champions League: "It's a big thing. I'm hugely looking forward to it. I know it'll be special when we have that Champions League anthem playing. "Now it's preparation, there's a few more cameras, but it's business as usual. When we all go out onto the pitch tomorrow then it'll be special. "I believe I have a fantastic squad and we would like to go as far as possible. I think the most important thing is that it's one game at a time. "Villarreal are a very good team, I've been very impressed when I've studied them, but we'll do everything we can to get a good start. It's going to be a good challenge. " Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say Personally, I can't (as a Spurs fan) see Spurs getting past the quarters. .. however Thomas Frank is a great manager so you never know. .. Tim You never do Tim, you never do. .. Tottenham v Villarreal (20: 00 BST) Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham boss Thomas Frank on his journey to Champions League football: "It's a fantastic opportunity and experience. "I was manager of Brentford in the Championship at Griffin Park, a small, compact stadium, and tomorrow we're playing in one of the best stadiums in the world, in front of our own fantastic fans. "It's a European night and we know they'll be absolutely on it. It'll be so special. " Craig Nelson BBC Sport reporter We will check out what Mikel Arteta and David Raya had to say in their news conference in a bit. But let's return to Tottenham manager Thomas Frank first. .. Athletic Club v Arsenal (17: 45 BST) BBC Radio 5 Live Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes Athletic Club/Athletic Bilbao will be a tough match for Arsenal tonight, but that the Gunners should be well stocked to take them on: "I think it’s going to be a stern test tonight, I think that’s

what the Champions League is there for and the test for Arsenal will be to

compete on both fronts [in the Premier League and in Europe]. We know the recent quarter-finals

and semi-finals that they’ve had, and lost, so they’ll be looking to progress even further. "They’ve not had European success since 1994 so it’s a long

time. They spent heavily in the summer, and they recruited really well. But I think

tonight will be a tough test for them against the Europa League semi-finalists

from last season. " Arsenal As mentioned, Arsenal kick off their Champions League campaign in Bilbao today at 17: 45 BST. Here is a full list of the Gunners' league phase fixtures: Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say Craig Nelson states that Arsenal are playing Athletic Club - formerly known as Athletic Bilbao. I believe they've always been called Athletic Club - they're commonly known as Athletic Bilbao in England. I could be wrong. Stevie You know Stevie, I initially wrote "also known as" rather than "formerly known as". The reality is, until recently we did always refer to them as Athletic Bilbao in this country but that has been changing recently. As a result, some people will know exactly who we are talking about when we refer to Athletic Club, but others of a certain age [sadly, my age bracket] might not. One thing that is for sure, Bilbao is a great city and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and goalkeeper David Raya were enjoying their visit to the San Mames Stadium before they spoke with the media on Monday. Tottenham v Villarreal (20: 00 BST) Tottenham Hotspur Speaking about Cristian Romero, the Tottenham captain says he is "very happy" at the club and "never" expressed his desire to leave, despite being heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid over the summer. The 27-year-old Argentina centre-back had criticised the club's board for a lack of investment last season and posted a cryptic message supporting departing manager Ange Postecoglou and the "many obstacles" he overcame just an hour after Thomas Frank was appointed as his replacement. However, Frank named Romero as his captain and he signed a new four-year deal in August to keep him at the club until 2029. "I never said I wanted to leave the club, " the World Cup winner said in a pre-match news conference before Spurs' Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday. "Nothing came from me in that effect. It is important what the manager and president say. "I am very happy here, it is like a family. I like the manager. I like the way we work, the way we train. "Always things can improve but I think everyone here at all levels are taking the right steps to improve. I am very happy here. " Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say If Romero and VDV stay fit, I think Spurs get to quarters of CL, and finish top 5. If either or both get lengthy lay-offs, then I'm not nearly so hopeful. .. Ben Champions League Last season Liverpool topped the league phase table with 21 points from their eight games, while Arsenal and Aston Villa also made the top eight. Celtic and Manchester City progressed to the play-off round, as did 24th-placed Club Brugge with just 11 points. Paris St-Germain also scraped into the play-off round after a difficult start to their campaign. The rest, as they say, is history. .. Tottenham Hotspur Anyone who watched the Champions League draw will know that a team's eight league phase fixtures are picked randomly by Uefa's own super computer. Each team will face two sides from four different pots - two from the pot of top seeds etc down to two from the pot of bottom seeds. Here's the eight teams Tottenham will face, and the dates they will play them: The Champions League was revamped before the 2024-25 season with a new 36-team league phase. In the expanded tournament each side plays eight different teams - four at home and four away - in the league phase. Teams who finish in the top eight automatically qualify for the last 16, while those placing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them. Sides who finish 25th or lower will be eliminated - and will not drop into the Europa League. Need to know more, check out this video, which was produced last season to explain the new format. .. This video can not be played Champions League: All you need to know about the new format Tottenham v Villarreal (20: 00 BST) BBC Radio 5 Live Back to Tottenham. .. former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson is confident the club's summer recruitment will help Thomas Frank's side cope better this season, compared to 2024-25. "The thing for Tottenham is squad depth. We saw them have a

terrible campaign last season finishing 17th in the league, unable to compete on

both fronts while chasing that elusive

trophy that they finally got. "The positivity that surrounds Thomas Frank, that one blip on

his record with that defeat to Bournemouth but other than that, he’s been very

positive and I think tactically, he’s shown he can be very versatile to change personnel

and change systems and the early signs are good. "But it’s a very, very long season

and someone told me a long time ago, 'don’t look at the league table until the

clocks go back' and I think that’s a good piece of advice. " Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say Good luck to the fans whose teams are playing in the Carabao Cup tonight. I feel as though these games get overshadowed sometimes when the CL is on. We've got a few good days of games here. Harry Who cares about the Champions League? It's all about FA Cup qualifying tonight! Up the Port! Cal - a Southport fan Craig Nelson BBC Sport reporter A lot of Tottenham fans are getting in touch with us this morning. Obviously, they are not the only north London club in action in the Champions League today. Arsenal, who pushed eventual champions Paris St-Germain all the way in last season's semi-finals before just falling short, are in action at Athletic Club - formerly known as Athletic Bilbao. We will be hearing from both Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and Spurs head coach Thomas Frank shortly. But first, a word from some fans of non-Champions League clubs. .. Last Updated 16th September 2025 at 17: 55 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.