Arsenal’s 2024/25 Champions League marketing campaign will get underway in a lesser-played Thursday fixture, with the Gunners travelling to Italy for his or her opener.
The Gunners, who’ve by no means gained Europe’s premier competitors beforehand, kick off by journeying to Bergamo to face final season’s Europa League winners Atalanta. The Serie A outfit are to not be underestimated and beat Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Milan and Napoli over the course of 2023/24.
Arsenal, who fell on the quarter-final stage of the Champions League final time period, can ill-afford complacency for his or her journey to the Gewiss Stadium, however will likely be buoyed by their latest north London derby triumph towards Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta has nearly all of his prized property accessible to him, together with the returning Declan Rice, however skipper Martin Odegaard is sidelined and Bukayo Saka is an damage doubt.
Right here is how Arsenal might line up of their first Champions League encounter of the season.
GK: David Raya – Arsenal’s first-choice stopper has been in defiant kind through the early weeks of the season with important saves in victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Spurs. In reality, his cease from Ollie Watkins’ header was voted one of the best within the Premier League throughout August.
RB: Ben White – Prone to come up towards the tough Ademola Lookman in Bergamo, White should be on high kind to stifle final season’s Europa League ultimate decider. Limiting Heung-min Son over the weekend is a optimistic signal for midweek.
CB: William Saliba – One other easy show from Saliba earned Arsenal a 3rd clear sheet of the season on the weekend however the in-form Mateo Retegui – who has scored 4 in 4 Serie A video games this time period – will preserve him sincere.
CB: Gabriel – The match-winner on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a bullet header from shut vary, Gabriel as soon as once more confirmed his affect in each packing containers on the large stage.
LB: Jurrien Timber – After a torrid 2023/24 wherein he was sidelined with an ACL damage, Netherlands worldwide Timber could make a 3rd successive Arsenal begin on Thursday. Filling in at left-back following accidents to teammates, the previous Ajax man has finished a sterling job thus far.
DM: Thomas Partey – Arsenal’s midfield appeared considerably weaker than regular on the weekend as Partey was left with out Rice and Odegaard within the engine room. Nevertheless, the Ghanaian will likely be relieved to see the previous return on Thursday, providing him extra safety in central areas.
CM: Declan Rice – Whereas Rice was a notable absentee on the weekend, with Arsenal struggling to manage the midfield with out him, his temporary suspension at the least provided him a breather. He ought to be contemporary midweek.
CM: Kai Havertz – There have been query marks over whether or not Havertz would drop into midfield on Sunday and people questions linger heading into Thursday’s conflict. Gabriel Jesus’ return could pressure Arteta to utilise the German within the centre of the park given accidents elsewhere.
RW: Bukayo Saka – Saka is a type of struggling together with his health previous to the Atalanta conflict after hobbling off towards Spurs. Nevertheless, we have seen this earlier than with the dynamic Englishman, who seldom misses a match for the Gunners.
ST: Gabriel Jesus – The Brazilian made a cameo towards Tottenham however could possibly be handed a bigger position on Thursday. Up towards three bodily Atalanta centre-backs, his elite motion and ingenuity might show pivotal.
LW: Leandro Trossard – Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Martinelli are competing for a berth on the left-hand aspect however Trossard has sufficient credit score within the financial institution to bench them for now.
