Arsenal fans endured six difficult years without UEFA Champions League football, but their Matchday 1 performance was well worth the wait as they dismantled PSV Eindhoven in a 4-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.
Next up, the Gunners return to the scene of their first-ever game in Europe’s premier club competition as they face Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Lens, meanwhile, will approach the game in an optimistic mood after enjoying something of an upturn in recent weeks.
Having finished second in Ligue 1 last season, they started 2023-24 with one point from five games – their worst return for 62 seasons in the top flight.
However, Franck Haise’s team have since clinched back-to-back victories in league matches, beating Strasbourg 1-0 on Friday thanks to Elye Wahi’s goal.
Head-to-Head:
Lens are unbeaten in their two previous Champions League meetings with Arsenal, managing a 1-1 home draw and a 1-0 away win when they were paired together in Group E in 1998-99.
Neither team qualified for the knockout stages that season.
More generally, Arsenal have a fine record in France, only losing one of their 14 previous away games against French teams (W8, D5).
That lone defeat came at Rennes (3-1) in the Europa League in March 2019.