There are eight English teams in Europe during the 2023-24 season ahead of the group stage getting under way in all three continental competitions.
The Premier League has four representatives in the Champions League, three in the Europa League, plus one in the Europa Conference League, so here we look at the prospects for them all.
Arsenal
Competition: Champions League
Opponents: Arsenal, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17, are in Group B where they face Sevilla of Spain, Dutch side PSV Eindhoven and French team Lens.
Prospects: It looks a relatively kind draw for the Gunners and while Sevilla are no strangers to European success, it is in the Europa League where they have won seven trophies. Arsenal lead the way in the Champions League Group B winner odds at 2/5.
Manchester City
Competition: Champions League
Opponents: The holders face German side RB Leipzig for the third successive season in the Champions League. Also in Group G are Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade, winners of the European Cup in 1991, and Swiss side Young Boys.
Prospects: Pep Guardiola’s side are the outright favourites in the Champions League winner odds as they seek to build on their success in Istanbul last season by retaining the title at Wembley next June. They should have no trouble reaching the knockout stage and are 1/10 to top the group.
Manchester United
Competition: Champions League
Opponents: United renew rivalry with Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich on their return to the top table of European football. Erik ten Hag’s side will also be up against Rasmus Hojlund’s first professional club FC Copenhagen of Denmark, as well as Turkish side Galatasaray in Group A.
Prospects: United are just 1/10 to qualify but are second favourites behind Bayern to top the group. The Red Devils came back late on to beat Bayern in the 1999 final and complete the treble, but the German champions came out on top in the sides’ last Champions League encounter in the 2014 quarter-finals.
Newcastle United
Competition: Champions League
Opponents: The Magpies have the toughest draw of the English teams in Europe as they return to the competition for the first time since 2002-03. They have been paired with three European heavyweights – seven-time Champions League winners AC Milan, 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund and 2020 finalists Paris St Germain in Group F.
Prospects: There are no easy ties for Eddie Howe’s men in the ‘group of death’ but their opponents will not be relishing a trip to St James’ Park, where the atmosphere should be electric for the return of the big European nights. Plenty of Newcastle’s squad have played in Europe before and they are second favourites to win the group at 9/4 in the Champions League betting behind PSG at 11/10.
Brighton
Competition: Europa League
Opponents: Brighton’s first season in continental football sees them up against four-time European champions Ajax, 1993 European Cup winners Marseille and reigning Greek champions AEK Athens.
Prospects: This may be Albion’s first taste of European competition but they are there on merit after finishing sixth in the Premier League and are odds-on favourites to win Group B at 19/20, although Marseille and Ajax will provide tough competition.
Liverpool
Competition: Europa League
Opponents: Liverpool were placed alongside LASK of Austria, Belgian club Union St Gilloise and Toulouse from France in Group E.
Prospects: The Reds are three-time winners of the competition in its former guise of the UEFA Cup and are the outright favourites to go all the way at 10/3. The Premier League may be the priority for now but Jurgen Klopp’s men should ease through to the knockout stage and are 1/7 to top their group.
West Ham
Competition: Europa League
Opponents: The Hammers go up against 47-time Greek champions Olympiacos, German club Freiburg and European debutants TSC Backa Topola from Serbia in Group A.
Prospects: West Ham are in the second-tier competition by virtue of their victory in last season’s Europa Conference League final. That experience should stand them in good stead and after an impressive start to their domestic campaign, they are 4/5 to win the group.
Aston Villa
Competition: Europa Conference League
Opponents: Villa have been drawn to face AZ Alkmaar, Legia Warsaw and Zrinjski in Group E. Zrinjski are the first team from Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the group stages of a UEFA club competition.
Prospects: Villa are the only one of the English teams in Europe who had to qualify for the group stage and they did so in style with an 8-0 aggregate victory over Hibs. Despite having not played in Europe for 13 years, Villa are the 4/1 favourites to follow in West Ham’s footsteps by winning the competition. Head coach Unai Emery lifted the Europa League trophy three times with Sevilla and once at Villarreal, as well as leading Arsenal to the final.
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