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We wrap up the Europa League group stage on Thursday night time towards FC Zurich, realizing a win will assure we end high of Group A and routinely qualify for the last-16 of the competitors.
The omens are good as Zurich have solely received one in every of their final 17 away video games in main European competitions, and have by no means crushed an English membership on their travels, whereas now we have received all seven of our earlier conferences with Swiss sides.
Nevertheless, with the group so finely balanced, one eye for a lot of will even be on PSV Eindhoven’s journey to Bodo/Glimt, who should beat the Norwegians to have any hope of pipping us to high spot.
Since we final met
Having gone into our matchday 1 encounter nonetheless trying to find a league victory after seven video games, it took Zurich till final weekend to lastly style success within the Swiss Tremendous League once they beat Sion 1-0, and head to north London with back-to-back wins after beating Bodo/Glimt 2-1 final week due to Antonio Marschesano’s injury-time winner.
Which means they’re rooted to the underside of the league, six factors adrift of their nearest rivals having garnered simply 9 factors and 9 targets to date. That type noticed supervisor Franco Foda dismissed in September, with former Kidderminster Harriers and Bristol Rovers strike Bo Henriksen put in in his place.
Additionally they misplaced all of their first 4 Europa League video games, together with conceding 10 in two video games towards PSV, however the win towards Bodo/Glimt now offers them an opportunity of sneaking into the Europa Convention League with a optimistic consequence at our expense.
What to anticipate
Michael Cox, writing in the official matchday programme: The change in supervisor has additionally resulted in a change of formation, with Henriksen ditching the 4-3-3 system and preferring 3-4-1-2.
For all of the targets he’s conceded, Yanick Breacher is definitely a superb goalkeeper, accustomed to enjoying behind a three-man defence which has typically seemed in need of velocity. Wing-back Nikola Boranijasevic motors up and down the touchline, and can also be able to pushing inside into goalscoring positions too. On the left, Adrian Guerrero has benefited from the change of system, and is providing an excellent attacking menace down the left.
Henriksen has chopped and adjusted in midfield. Ole Selnaes will in all probability begin and sit deep, with energetic midfielder Cheick Conde given license to push ahead, however is unlikely to supply a lot of a purpose menace. The 2 deep midfielders present a platform for Marchesano to play as a basic No 10, however Zurich lack a prolific striker.
The way it stands
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| 2 | PSV | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | Bodo/Glimt | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 4 |
| 4 | FC Zurich | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 | -10 |
3 |
What the managers say
Mikel Arteta: “I don’t strategy video games considering that after half an hour or 45 minutes we’ll get the consequence that we would like, however definitely I’ll have a very aggressive workforce on the market.
“We missed the prospect in Holland final week and Thursday is the final alternative to attain our purpose. – see the full press conference
Bo Henriksen: “Clearly Arsenal are the large favourites tomorrow. Nevertheless, we’re not right here to see the sights, we’ll do all the things we will to win.
“I imagine in my gamers and I’m satisfied that tomorrow we’ll do all the things we will as a workforce to create an upset.”
Crew information
Arteta has been boosted by seeing Mohamed Elneny and Oleksandr Zinchenko return to coaching, whereas Bukayo Saka has shaken off the knock that pressured him off towards Nottingham Forest on the weekend.
That simply leaves Matt Turner and Emile Smith Rowe on the sidelines, who each have groin accidents.
Zurich’s goalscorer in our earlier encounter, Mirlind Kryeziu, has missed the previous 4 video games with a muscle damage and is uncertain for this one, whereas veteran midfielder Blerim Dzemaili has been struggling for health in current weeks.
Nikola Katic limped off on the weekend and will additionally miss out, Donis Avdijaj sat out the previous two victories towards Bodo/Glimt and Sion whereas Ilan Sauter has been out since September.
Info and stats
We have now received all seven of their matches towards Swiss golf equipment, essentially the most video games we’ve performed towards groups from a selected nation whereas successful every time.
Zurich have received solely one in every of their final 17 away video games in main European competitions (D3 L13), beating AEK Larnaca on this competitors again in September 2018.
Zurich have misplaced all 5 of their away matches towards English sides in Europe, conceding three targets per sport on common, nonetheless their most up-to-date away sport towards an English membership noticed them lose 3-0 towards Aston Villa within the Intertoto Cup in July 2002.
We have now stored a clear sheet in every of our final three dwelling matches in Europe, our longest run since a five-game stretch between November 2018 and April 2019.
We have now misplaced simply one in every of our final 19 group stage matches at dwelling in main European competitions (W15 D3), whereas now we have received every of our final 5.
Match officers
Belgian official Erik Lambrechts will take cost of this sport, who oversaw his top-flight sport aged simply 27 and has been refereeing European matches for the reason that 2014/15 marketing campaign.
In his 14 earlier appointments this season, he has proven 55 yellow playing cards and one pink, however has awarded seven penalties. He refereed in London again in March when he was the person within the center for England’s 3-0 win over the Ivory Coast at Wembley, when Smith Rowe, Ben White and Nicolas Pepe featured.
- Referee: Erik Lambrechts
- Assistant Referee 1: Jo de Weirdt
- Assistant Referee 2: Rien Vanyzere
- Fourth official: Jasper Vergoote
- VAR: Dennis Higler
- Assistant VAR: Massimiliano Irrati
Visits from Swiss sides
This would be the third time now we have confronted off towards Swiss opposition on dwelling turf, with the primary coming in 1971/72 after we beat Grasshopper Zurich 3-0 within the European Cup second spherical, with Ray Kennedy, Charlie George and John Radford getting on the scoresheet.
We then beat FC Thun 2-1 within the 2005/06 Champions League group stage at Highbury, when Dennis Bergkamp rescued victory with an injury-time winner after Gilberto had seen his opener cancelled out three minutes later by Nelson Ferreira.
Then in 2016/17, we defeated Basel 2-0 within the Europa League group stage, with Theo Walcott grabbing each targets on an evening the place Granit Xhaka got here up towards his brother Taulant.
Breakdown Reside
Nick Shiny and Adrian Clarke are dwell pitchside an hour earlier than kick-off with response to our workforce information earlier than being joined by a particular visitor for his or her pre-match ideas.
Our studio viewers within the My Arsenal Rewards field can be discussing our complete victory over Nottingham Forest with the workforce earlier than being joined by Fumez the Engineer and former Gunner David Hillier.
You will not miss a kick of the motion both, with dwell audio commentary from Max Jones and Perry Groves, so tune in from 7pm UK time for the most effective build-up!
Copyright 2022 The Arsenal Soccer Membership plc. Permission to make use of quotations from this text is granted topic to applicable credit score being given to www.arsenal.com because the supply.
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