Arsenal ready to rebuild unbeaten record

Arsenal FC boasted a five-year unbeaten home run in the UEFA Champions League before Manchester United FC's semi-final victory last season and will be looking to start rebuilding the fortress as Olympiacos FC come calling in Group H.

• The teams recorded contrasting victories on Matchday 1, Arsenal recovering after conceding twice in the first five minutes to win 3-2 at R. Standard de Liège while a late header from Vassilis Torosidis proved enough for Olympiacos at home to AZ Alkmaar.

Previous meetings
• Although the team have never met before they have experienced contrasting results against teams from their opponents' country. Arsenal have lost just two of ten fixtures against Greek opponents with five wins and three draws.

• Olympiacos have won only two of 16 fixtures with English sides, losing eleven. They have lost all eight away games, conceding 27 goals and scoring just once.

• That sole goal came at Anfield in a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool FC on Matchday 6 of the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League, a result which sent the English club into the knockout stages at the expense of their opponents and, ultimately, to a fifth European title.

Match background
• Arsenal's run in last season's competition came to an end in the semi-finals where a 3-1 home defeat by Manchester United completed a 4-1 aggregate defeat. It was the first time the Gunners had been beaten at home in 24 matches in the UEFA Champions League proper, a run which stretched back to April 2004.

• It was also their first UEFA Champions League defeat at the Arsenal Stadium in 18 matches there, including qualifiers. Twelve of the first 17 ended in home wins.

Team ties
• Zico, who was named Temuri Ketsbaia's successor as Olympiacos coach on Matchday 1, has already tasted success against English opposition this year, guiding PFC CSKA Moskva to a 3-1 aggregate win against Aston Villa FC in the UEFA Cup round of 32 in February.

• The Brazilian has faced Premier League sides on five occasions as a coach, winning both home games including a 2-1 triumph against Chelsea FC in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg while at Fenerbahçe SK. The away leg ended in a 2-0 defeat and elimination, however, and there was also a 1-0 reverse at Newcastle United FC in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage before last season's 1-1 draw at Villa.

• As a player, Zico set up all three goals in CR Flamengo's 3-0 win against Liverpool FC in the 1981 European-South American Cup in Tokyo.

• On the opening day of 2006/07, Olof Mellberg, then with Villa, had the distinction of becoming the first player to score a competitive goal at Arsenal's new stadium. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, one of only two points Mellberg picked up in eleven Premier League meetings with the Gunners.

• Enzo Maresca was an unused substitute for Sevilla FC when they lost 3-0 at Arsenal in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League.

• Matt Derbyshire helped Blackburn Rovers FC beat Arsenal 1-0 in an FA Cup fifth round replay in February 2007. Earlier that season he came on as substitute in a 6-2 defeat for Blackburn at the Arsenal Stadium.

• Didier Domi was at Newcastle United FC between 1998 and 2001 and was part of the team beaten 5-0 by Arsenal at Highbury on 9 December 2000. The defender also spent 2003/04 on loan at Leeds United AFC.