Champions League: Arsenal In Group H With Shakhtar, SC Braga & Partisan

It was always going to happen wasn't it?

Football is an emotional game, and when Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk visit the Emirates Stadium in the group stages of this season's Champions League, it is bound to be a night of heightened emotions.

Arsenal will welcome back former No. 9 Eduardo da Silva who left the club in the summer for regular first-team football.

The Brazilian born, Croatian international was somewhat of a cult hero around North London, where he was treated as an icon following his return from a career-threatening leg break.

In his first game back for the Gunners, Eduardo scored a brace as they beat Cardiff in the FA Cup. However, his form was patchy at best and with the arrival of Marouane Chamackh at the Emirates, Eduardo decided to leave.

No doubt he will receive a very warm welcome from the Arsenal crowd.

However, it is business first and while Shakhtar will prove a difficult game, Arsene Wenger will surely be happy that his side avoided Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in the group stages.

Arsenal, though, will be keen to play Shakhtar away as early as possible to avoid the harsh elements of the Ukrainian winter.

Also in the group are SC Braga of Portugal who overcame the might of Sevilla and Celtic to make it to the group stages for the first time.

While they are newcomers to the competition, they are no mugs and will prove a potential banana skin for the Gunners.

Making up Group H are FK Partisan of Serbia.

This poses another tricky tie for Arsenal. While the Serbian side have little pedigree in recent European competition, they can never be written off. Striker Cleo will be one the Arsenal back line will have to watch with a close eye.

So the draw has been made, the wait is over, now it's time for the football to start.

Complete Champions League Draw

Group A: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Tottenham, FC Twente.

Group B: Lyon, Benfica, Schalke, Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Group C: Manchester United, Valencia, Rangers, Bursaspor.

Group D: FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan.

Group E: Bayern Munich, AS Roma, FC Basel, CFR Cluj.

Group F: Chelsea, Marseille, Spartak Moscow, MSK Zilina.

Group G: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Auxerre.

Group H: Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk, SC Braga, FK Partisan.