Manchester City, which has weathered difficult Champions League groups in recent years, will have to do so again after being drawn with Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Mönchengladbach at the draw in Monaco on Thursday.
Another tough group features the dominant French team, Paris St.-Germain; the Spanish giant Real Madrid; the Ukranian contender Shakhtar Donetsk, which made the final 16 last year; and the Swedish champion Malmo.
Arsenal, which has advanced from the group stage for 12 consecutive years, will have to negotiate a group that includes Bayern Munich, Olympiacos of Greece and Dinamo Zagreb.