Arsenal forced to make drastic kit change for Bilbao Champions League clash

ARSENAL have been forced to make a change to their kit for their Champions League opener.

Mikel Arteta 's troops will play last season's beaten Europa League semi-finalists Athletic Bilbao in San Mames tonight .

3 Arsenal take on Athletic Bilbao in San Mames in their Champions League opener tonight Credit: GETTY

3 The Gunners have been forced to make a change to their away kit for the match Credit: GETTY

The north Londoners are set to wear their swanky blue, red and white away kit, which has proven popular among the Emirates faithful.

But they've been forced to make a change to part of their kit for this evening's match.

Arteta's charges have been forced to do away with the dark blue shorts and wear white and silver ones instead.

That's because of a kit clash with the lower portion of Bilbao's kit, which is comprised of black shorts and black socks.

The Gunners reached the semi-finals of Europe 's elite club competition last season.

They were dumped out by eventual tournament winners Paris Saint-Germain , who are many people's favourites to retain the trophy.

Arteta has a significantly stronger squad than the one available to him last season thanks to the acquisition of EIGHT new players.

And he hopes his summer splurge will help the team go one better this season and win the tournament.

3 The north Londoners will wear white shorts instead of the usual blue ones tonight Credit: Getty

He said: "Like the rest of the teams, that have done the same [strengthen] and continue to do that and have won it on many occasions.

"That’s the aim in the beginning, but we all know that it’s going to be a really long journey.

"The margins in this competition are super small and you have to be at your very best from day one to give yourself the best possible chance."

When pressed further about the crushing exit to PSG , Arteta replied: "You take a lot of learnings from it.

"It’s painful because it’s not only what we feel, it’s about the expectation that we created and the real conviction that we had within the club, the team, that we could go all the way.

"Because we showed a very high level of consistency and quality throughout the competition and learn from it and try to be better."

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