The Champions League returns this week and Arsenal are set to kick-off their campaign with a trip to Croatia to face Dinamo Zagreb.

The change in the seeding system this season sees the Gunners lumped in with Bayern Munich meaning that it should be a race for top spot with the German giants.

Arsenal fans are under no illusions about how difficult it will be to top the group.

Arsenal's French striker Olivier Giroud is brought down by Bayern Munich's midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second-leg football match FC Bayern Munich vs FC Arsenal in Munich, southern Germany, on March 11, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE
Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud is brought down by Bayern Munich’s midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second-leg football match FC Bayern Munich vs FC Arsenal in Munich, southern Germany, on March 11, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE

In saying that, we topped the group last season and look what happened; it was like the universe mocked us for getting so excited about it.

But, with Bayern in there with us, it is likely to come down to results against Dinamo and Olympiacos and Arsene Wenger is more than a little aware of that fact.

“It is important we go to Zagreb highly focused and conscious at what is at stake there,” he told Arsenal.com.

“You can be quickly out of the Champions League and we want to start well and we know we have a battle first to qualify with Bayern Munich [in the group].

“You need to find the balance between urgency and confidence and at times that is difficult as you can quickly be too confident and lose your urgency.

“We have Olympiacos and Zagreb first and we have to finish above them and the result will come down to that. I think it is important to start well because the hunger of a team is shown as well in how well you go in every competition.”

Arsenal will be fairly confident of getting out of the group – they always do, after all. What they do when they make it that far, however, is a completely different story.

Arsenal will be without Per Mertesacker for the game who is still not fully fit after spending 18 days in bed with a chest infection.

Thankfully, our record when Gabriel plays is pretty special.