REVEALED: Why Arsenal's Emirates Stadium LOSES its name when the Gunners play in the Champions League

Arsenal welcome Harry Kane and Bayern Munich to North London tonight, for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

It is their first time back to the final eight of UEFA's premier club competition since 2010, when they were eliminated by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and a masterclass from Lionel Messi.

Thomas Tuchel's Bayern Munich are the visitors to London, and whilst the Gunners lead the Premier League race, the German visitors have seen their Bundesliga challenge falter, and they are now 16 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen with six games remaining.

Many will routinely think Arsenal's European home ties are at the 'Emirates Stadium', the ground they have played at since 2006 when they left Highbury.

But a little-known UEFA technicality means that is not the case in the Champions League, or other European competitions, when the ground is simply listed as the 'Arsenal Stadium'. 

Arsenal's Emirates is called 'Arsenal Stadium' in UEFA competitions due to sponsorship rules

This is due to UEFA not recognising stadium sponsors under their rules regarding sponsorships.

This isn't just the case for Arsenal. Manchester City's home ground, the Etihad Stadium, is renamed to the City of Manchester Stadium for their games, including next week's Champions League second leg against Real Madrid. 

In fact, UEFA sponsorships rules have also seen teams forced to alter their name slightly.

Austria's Red Bull Salzburg shorten their name to FC Salzburg, and use a modified crest to fit within the European body's regulations.

So don't be surprised if you see UEFA content tagged with 'Arsenal Stadium', not the Emirates, although many will undoubtedly still use the more well-known moniker.

The road to... London?

Arsenal's route to the Champions League final - at Wembley, in North-West London - is not a simple commute across the capital.

Following today's first leg, the reverse game is at the Allianz Arena in Munich in eight days time.

If Mikel Arteta's side find their way past Tuchel's troubled Germans - and former Spurs man Kane - then their semi-final will be against either Manchester City or Real Madrid.

It could lead to the semi-finals both being held at renamed stadiums for UEFA sponsorship purposes, if both English sides progress next week. 

Barcelona, PSG, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are the four sides fighting it out in the other half of the draw to be Champions League finalists on June 1.  

Arsenal have become known by many for flunking their European assignments, and no side at this stage of the Champions League can be considered an easy draw. 

But if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and Arsenal's league form has put them top in England - for now.  

The Emirates, or the Arsenal Stadium, waits to see what they can achieve on the continental stage.