While Arsenal vs Lens is a fixture bereft of hostility or animosity, the Gunners have nonetheless played a significant role in the French side's European history.
During their only two Champions League campaigns to date, Lens have been drawn in the same group as Arsenal. The two clubs are entrenched in history, but duels have only arrived sparingly since their first meeting in 1998.
Here's a rundown of Arsenal's head-to-head record against Ligue 1 outfit Lens.
Lens 1-1 Arsenal - September 1998
Both clubs made their Champions League bows in the 1998/99 campaign after winning their respective domestic leagues the season prior.
The two teams would suitably meet on Matchday 1 of the group stage in Lens and Arsenal looked set for all money to secure a huge away win after Marc Overmars handed them the lead early in the second half.
Lens, though, would ensure they didn't endure a competition debut to forget as Tony Vairelles struck in stoppage time to earn them a point.
Arsenal 0-1 Lens - November 1998
It's worth noting Arsenal's Champions League debut arrived at a time when British clubs appeared pre-historic compared to their continental counterparts. Even Manchester United's treble success in 1999 failed to spark an immediate shift in fortunes.
So, the Gunners' demise on home soil to Lens was merely regarded as the continuation of a concerning trend.
On this occasion, Arsene Wenger, who was without Dennis Bergkamp, Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira, was reliant on his squad players to get the job done at home to the Ligue 1 champions, but they couldn't produce the goods. Arsenal were eventually beaten 1-0 as Michael Debeve scored the winner late on.
Despite this victory, Lens too would fail to progress into the knockout stages as they joined Arsenal on eight points.
Arsenal 1-0 Lens - April 2000
The next meeting arrived less than two years later in the latter stages of the UEFA Cup. Arsenal met Lens with a place in the final at stake having dropped into the competition following another disappointing Champions League group stage.
The Gunners then beat Nantes, Deportivo La Coruna and Werder Bremen to reach the last four and they'd secure their first-ever win over Lens in the first leg of their semi-final thanks to an early Bergkamp goal.
Lens 1-2 Arsenal - April 2000
Despite their measured and controlled display in the first leg, Arsenal's lead was slender heading into the return fixture.
However, Wenger's side did an excellent job of mellowing a raucous home crowd and they took the lead on the night just before half-time thanks to a Thierry Henry strike.
Lens rallied in the second half and a Gunners collapse seemed imminent after Pascal Nouma restored parity with 20 minutes remaining. The maturing visitors kept their cool, however, and would seal their place in the UEFA Cup final after Kanu coolly added a second with just a couple of minutes remaining.
Unfortunately, defeat would ensue to Galatasaray on penalties in the competition's showpiece event.
Lens 2-1 Arsenal - October 2023
Once one of Ligue 1's most formidable sides at the turn of the 21st century, Lens' recent history is more complex and they consistently juggled between the first and second tier between 2008 and 2020.
However, they've been back in the top flight since the start of the 2020/21 campaign and coach Franck Haise has seen them revisit past glories. A second-place finish in Ligue 1 in 2022/23 meant they qualified for the Champions League for just the second time, and, once again, they took on Arsenal in the group stage.
Their first meeting came on home soil and despite falling behind to a Gabriel Jesus goal, Lens quickly responded via a sweet Adrien Thomasson strike. A sweeping move finished off by exciting young forward Elye Wahi handed the hosts a lead they would not relinquish as they secured a memorable victory.
Arsenal vs Lens - Complete H2H record
- Games played: 5
- Arsenal wins: 2
- Draws: 1
- Lens wins: 2
Top scorers in Arsenal vs Lens fixtures
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This article was originally published on 90min as Arsenal vs Lens: Complete head-to-head record.