By John Sinnott BBC Sport Online

For the first time in the history of Europe's top club competition, four English clubs will compete in the initial group stage of the Champions League.

How will English clubs fare? Have your say

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle are all in action in the first round this week.

Champions League group guide

Italy and Spain will be the only other two European countries to have four representatives when the Champions League merry-go-round kicks off on Tuesday.

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Liverpool have been set a tough assignment in their second consecutive appearance in Europe's elite competition.

On Tuesday, they face Spanish champions Valencia, who reached the European Cup final in 2000 and 2001.

Group B
Valencia
Liverpool
Spartak Moscow
Basel

Gerard Houllier's side made their Champions League debut last season, playing 16 times and losing only twice before being knocked out by eventual runners-up Bayer Leverkusen at the quarter-final stage.

Owen has struggled to score

Despite Valencia's impressive pedigree, Liverpool will take heart that the last time the two sides met - in the Uefa Cup in 1999 - when Houllier's side won on the away goals rule.

Liverpool's early season Premiership form has been patchy, with a once reliable defence letting slip two-goal leads and an attack, notably Michael Owen, yet to hit its stride.

And against Valencia, Liverpool forwards attack will have their work cut out - en route to their La Liga title the Spanish outfit's defence conceded just 27 goals.

Manchester United play host to Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday amid growing concerns that their Old Trafford empire is crumbling.

Group F:
Manchester United
Bayer Leverkusen
Olympiakos
Maccabi Haifa

Butt is struggling with a hip injury

Sir Alex Ferguson's side have made their worst Premiership start since the league's inception and the United manager is coping with injuries to key midfielders.

Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Juan Sebastian Veron are all injured and that trio has been joined in the treatment room by Nicky Butt, who limped off against Leeds with a hip injury.

The domestic form of Newcastle, who travel to the Ukraine to play Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, has been the worst of the four English challengers.

And Sir Bobby Robson's men have been handed arguably the toughest group of the English quartet.

Group E:
Juventus
Feyenoord
Dynamo Kiev
Newcastle United

Lying second-from-bottom in the table, Newcastle have won just once this season and that victory came on the opening day of the campaign in the middle of August.

Key players like Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy have only just returned to action after recovering from injury.

"We know there is more to come from Bellamy and Robert, but we need more from others as well," said Robson after the 3-0 defeat at Chelsea.

While the brows of Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle are all furrowed to varying degrees, Arsenal approach Tuesday's meeting with Borussia Dortmund in a positively serene mood.

Group A:
Arsenal
Borussia Dortmund
PSV Eindhoven
Auxerre

Arsenal's supercharged start to the season has seen manager Arsene Wenger demand that his side try and reach the standard set by former great European Cup winning sides like Ajax and Real Madrid.

"I loved watching Ajax and Real Madrid, any team which plays positive football, and the fact that we are beating the records of some great teams in this country shows this side is just fantastic," said Wenger.

Arsenal have played fantasy football this season

"We want to prove that we are as good as the likes of those Ajax and Real Madrid sides."

All conquering on the home front last season, Double-winners Arsenal looked less assured in Europe when they were playing away from home.

"Of course, we have not gone further than the quarter-finals and that's the big target ahead of us," said Wenger.