Arsenal's dream Champions League draw as Mikel Arteta's strategy is justified

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Arsenal have discovered their potential last-16 Champions League opponents following the conclusion of the thrilling play-off round, with both possibilities representing an ideal scenario. The eight victors from the two-legged knockout phase play-offs join the eight sides who have already qualified from the league phase table, including Arsenal , in this Friday's draw.

The draw will determine which team the Gunners will meet in their first knockout fixture of the competition out of either Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta . Both clubs are a favourable draw for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta will be confident his team has the quality to beat either Leverkusen or Atalanta when performing at their best.

Arsenal already learned which half of the tournament bracket they were on following the completion of the eight-game league phase, where they topped the 36-team table thanks to an unblemished record of eight wins .

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Tuesday and Wednesday's play-off fixtures saw German giants Leverkusen and Serie A club Atalanta advance to the last-16, following victories over Olympiacos and Borussia Dortmund , respectively. Leverkusen cruised through a straightforward second-leg with the Greek outfit, drawing 0-0 at home after securing a 2-0 lead away from home in the first leg. Kasper Hjulmand’s side had finished 16th in the league phase table previously.

Atalanta, in contrast, made harder work of their progression to the last-16, having lost their first-leg fixture away at Dortmund 2-0. That left them facing a daunting challenge on Wednesday, which they managed in remarkable fashion .

The Italian side, who finished 15th in the league phase, claimed a 4-1 victory at home (4-3 aggregate) as Dortmund collapsed defensively, conceding a penalty in the 98th minute to send Raffaele Palladino's side through to the next stage.

Leverkusen are sixth in the Bundesliga while Atalanta are seventh in Serie A, showing once again that a team like Arsenal, who are leading the Premier League , should overcome either side without major difficulty.

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The north Londoners have already beaten the likes of Bayern Munich , Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid convincingly this season in the competition, who are seen as far more serious opposition. They boast European pedigree now too, having beaten Real Madrid and Porto in the knockout rounds in previous seasons.

Ending the league phase with eight victories from eight ensured Arsenal would avoid some of the stronger teams who finished outside the top eight, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. This proves Arteta was correct to approach each match in the competition with a strong starting eleven.

Regardless of whether they face Atalanta or Leverkusen, they must remain fully focused, however. The Champions League is known for producing shocks and neither side will go down easily. The Gunners will therefore need to be at their most clinical when they play their fixtures in March.

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Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca, previously of West Ham , is a player worth monitoring closely should Arsenal draw the Italian side. The forward's sharp finishing and physical presence can prove difficult for any defender, as he showed when scoring against Dortmund. The fixture would also see former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac making his return to the Emirates Stadium.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen take pride in a robust defence which will demand the Arsenal attackers to be at their best if they are to penetrate it.

Arteta led Arsenal to the semi-finals last season after a lengthy absence from the final four, where they were eliminated by eventual champions PSG . Now, they will be looking to harness that experience and lift the trophy for the first time in their history.