Arsenal face CSKA Moscow on Thursday night at Ashburton Grove and will be hoping to put the tie to bed before a tough trip to Russia next week.
Overview
Coming off the back of a good win against Stoke, albeit with an overall poor performance, Arsenal have won their last four games in all competitions and haven’t lost a game in almost a month. Of course, they’ve been helped immensely by not playing that much football.
Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger has a few choices to make about who starts.
Injury concerns hang over Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Jack Wilshere, and Danny Welbeck while we know Santi Cazorla, despite being named in the Europa League squad for the second half of the season isn’t expected back in action until 2019, that’s if you’re expecting him back at all which probably isn’t the safest bet.
So how will Wenger set up his side against the team third in the Russian Premier League?
Let’s try and work it out…
Goalkeeper
Anyone hoping that Petr Cech would be brought in for what is now the most important competition of the season will be disappointed.
Speaking after the game against Stoke on Sunday, Wenger said that the Czech’s groin problem, which kept him out of the win against the Potters, is likely to leave him ‘short’ for Thursday. Although he was back in training on Wednesday and Wenger said he is now available, he is unlikely to start.
Ospina probably would have started without Cech’s fitness problems.
Wenger likes to stick with his cup keepers in the cup regardless of what the best option is. I wish he wouldn’t.
Next, defence, midfield, attack, stats and security fears
Defence
In front of Ospina we can assume that Wenger will pick his first-choice backline.
That means starts for Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal.
The only doubt hangs over Kos, who was on the bench for the game against Stoke. Although he is managed because of his Achilles problem, it is his back that is causing problems this time.
Kos played over the international break with France, picking up his 50th cap against Russia when he played the full 90 minutes. He did not play against Colombia in France’s first game of the break, rested on the bench by Didier Deschamps who showed excellent consideration of the 32-year-old’s fitness problems.
Winning their last four games after losing the four before, Arsenal have conceded only one goal in the last 360 minutes of football. This represents a marked improvement on the rest of the season.
No player in the Arsenal squad has started more games this season than Bellerin (38).
Next, midfield, attack, stats and security fears
Midfield
Wenger should opt for a midfield similar to the one that started against Stoke on Sunday.
As he’s trying to get Jack Wilshere to sign a new contract, he will start, while Aaron Ramsey, assuming he hasn’t suffered any problems after his post-surgery return, will also get the nod.
Surprisingly, no player has featured more for Arsenal this season than Granit Xhaka. He has started 38 games and been brought on three times so he’s a nailed on starter.
Out will go Mohamed Elneny, whom we will likely see start the remaining Premier League games as long as we stay in the Europa League.
Next, attack, stats and security fears
Attack
Up front Wenger has few options.
Alexandre Lacazette returned against Stoke and his goal from the spot thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s selflessness will have done his confidence the world of good.
Danny Welbeck went off against Stoke with a back problem while Aubameyang is cup-tied. At his press conference on Wednesday, Wenger confirmed there was no issue with Welbeck.
“We basically have everybody available I think,” he said. “Lacazette is ready to start, yes. I have not decided if he will start or not yet, but he’s available and ready to start.”
Given the importance of this game, there is no way that any of the kids get near the starting lineup for this one unless something dramatic happens before kick-of.
Final starting XI
Ospina; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal; Ramsey, Xhaka, Wilshere; Mkhitaryan, Ozil; Lacazette.
Next, stats and security fears
Stats
Via UEFA.com
- CSKA were the first side to stop Arsenal scoring at Ashburton Grove when they drew 0-0 in the Champions League group stages in 2006. Arsenal lost the away leg, 1-0. Arsenal went on to win the group while CSKA finished third.
- Arsenal have lost twice as many games against Russian opposition as they have won (P8 W2 D2 L4) but their record at home against Russians is positive, losing one and winning two of the four played. However, Arsenal’s heaviest defeat at home in the UEFA Cup came at the hands of Spartak Moscow in 1982/83 when they lost 2-5.
- Arsenal have kept cleansheets in all their games against Russians at home since that result (P3, W2 D1).
- CSKA have played 19 games against English opposition, losing 11 and winning only three. They lost 2-1 at Old Trafford earlier this season and their only win on English soil came against Manchester City.
- This is Arsenal’s 12th UEFA quarter-final. They have won six and lost five. Four of those defeats have come in Arsenal’s last six quarters.
- In only one of the five failures at this stage, did Arsenal win their home game.
- In five of their six wins at this stage, they won their home games.
- CSKA have played three league games in 2018 and won them all.
Trivia
- Arsenal’s tally of seven wins in this season’s UEFA Europa League, group stage to final, is the highest in the competition.
- Aaron Ramsey’s goal that gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead in Milan was the 350th scored by an English club in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final.
- Petr Čech played twice for Chelsea against CSKA in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage, keeping clean sheets in both games (2-0 home, 1-0 away).
At risk of suspension
- Pontus Wernbloom and Bibras Natcho are both at risk of being suspended should they pick up a yellow card on Thursday night.
- Arsenal have no players walking this tightrope.
- Kirill Nababkin is suspended for this fixture.
Next, security fears
Security fears
Arsenal fans travelling to the game in Moscow have been warned about heightened security risks but Russian authorities seem annoyed with Arsenal after the club posted warnings issued by the UK Foreign Office on their website.
The ties come in the middle of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries following the attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter, allegedly using the nerve gas, Novichok.
Both countries are currently in the process of expelling diplomats from the other country as the incident escalates.
Speaking to the press, Russia’s World Cup organising committee chief, Alexis Sorokin, was keen to ease any fears Arsenal fans might have ahead of the away leg.
“It is a shame that the games will be played in such circumstance,” Sorokin told TASS, who is also a senior member of the Russian Football Union.
“We will ensure security in equal measures to all — from dignitaries to fans.”
But Sorokin was disappointed/annoyed with Arsenal’s decision to put the Foreign Office’s travel advisory on their website.
“To us, there is no difference which country people come from or what our diplomatic relations with them are,” he said.
“There are absolutely no grounds for such warnings.”