Arsenal welcome Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb to the Emirates this Tuesday in their fifth UEFA Champions League group stage match this season, in what is a must-win game for the Gunners.
The north London side are sure to be experiencing a drop in morale at London Colney following their most recent performances. They’ve only taken a point from their last two games and find themselves fourth in the league table, albeit still remaining two points off pole position. Last weekend, Arsenal lost at the Hawthorns in a match where the side faced the same defensive woes and were unable to finish their chances in the pouring rain – altogether capping a miserable night. Arsene Wenger’s men have to bounce back from such toothless and lacklustre performances this Tuesday.
Arsenal won’t have fond memories of Dinamo Zagreb, they kicked off their 2015/16 group stage campaign with a tactical horror show in Croatia, where they were beaten 2-1. Zagreb easily closed them down in the midfield, prevented Arsenal from executing their passing play and building any attacks and nullified them as a whole. At this stage in the competition, Arsenal need to win and do so resoundingly, so they’ll need to cut out the simple mistakes that cost them back in Croatia.
Zagreb sit two points off top spot in their domestic league and are rock bottom of their European group, Arsenal edging it on goal difference. Their key man is El Arbi Hillel Soudani, a man who can play across the forward line and who had a great game when put up against Kieran Gibbs when last the two teams met. It’s clear Zagreb have a lot of passion and fight in them going into this Tuesday, and the belief might just give them an unforeseen edge.
However, the visitors need to watch out for Mesut Ozil. The German just keeps racking up the assists and is full of confidence. Perhaps unlike last weekend’s game, this is the type of match where he can thrive – where he becomes essential in creating space and supplying the likes of Olivier Giroud. If Arsenal get out of this group, it’ll have something to do with the World Cup winner, without doubt.
Team news
There’s good news and bad news. Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have come back to training in the last couple days and could be on the bench for Tuesday’s game. Theo Walcott should be back in the weeks after this, and Mikel Arteta has a short-term injury. The biggest blow, however, is the injury of Francis Coquelin, who has been ruled out until January at the most. It is a big blow to Arsenal to lose their influential Frenchman, leaving Calum Chambers and Mathieu Flamini as the only defensive midfield options. Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky are all set for a return at the turn of the new year. The Gunners are looking very thin on the ground going into this congested winter period.
Pivaric is suspended for the opposition, whilst Antolic and Schildenfield are out with thigh injuries. However, the biggest absence is through Arijan Ademi. The midfielder was tested positive for doping after playing in the Zagreb-Arsenal, and was subsequently banned for four years by Uefa.
Predicted XIs
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Flamini, Cazorla; Campbell, Ozil, Alexis; Giroud.
Zagreb (4-2-3-1): Eduardo; Musa, Boras, Mamic, Benkovic; Sovsic, Pavicic, Cekici, Coric; Soudani, Henriquez.
Prediction
Arsenal will win 2-0. The Gunners tend to turn up the heat in pressure situations like this and perform, and tonight will be no different. Goals from Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez will wrap up a fairly comfortable night in north London, and set them up for a tense finish in Greece in two weeks’ time.
