Arsenal have continued from where they stopped in the Premier League last season, while the Europa League winners are struggling on all fronts this season.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had a fine run in the Premier League last term and only faltered at the final hurdle to lose the title to Manchester City. Their brand of football has been exciting and eye-catching. However, they have been struck by several injuries but have been able to navigate their ways to get the much-needed results.
The Gunners opened the 2023/24 season with a 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest. Summer signing midfielder Declan Rice was excellent in the game, and he is fast becoming a crowd favourite at the Emirates. Up next was the trip to Crystal Palace – a game they won 1-0; it was more of a defensive display than their usual attacking output as they played for nearly half an hour with 10 men.
In another London derby match, the Arsenal then shared the spoils with Fulham at the Emirates. Just before the September international break, the Gunners defeated Manchester United 3-1 in probably the biggest test of the season yet; Arsenal got a 1-0 win over Manchester City before the international break. A gritty 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park kept the Gunners on track before they went ahead to thump PSV 4-0 in their first Champions League game since 2017.
The North London side then played a 2-2 draw with rivals Tottenham at the Emirates before racking up three consecutive wins in all competitions – Brentford (Carabao Cup), Bournemouth and Manchester City in the Premier League. In their first UCL away game in nearly six years, the Gunners lost 2-1 to French side Lens. Back at the Emirates for the second time in the UCL this season, Mikel Arteta’s men know how important a win is in this game.
On the other hand, Sevilla’s poor start to the season has already had consequences. They were beaten on penalties by Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup. The Rojiblancos then suffered an opening-day defeat to Alaves before losing to high-flying Girona at home in their second game of the season. They finished the season’s opening month without a point on the domestic front and had to wait for their first win in September when they defeated Las Palmas 1-0 at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. In their UEFA Champions League opener, French side Lens held them to a 1-1 draw.
Sevilla continued climbing slowly with another win in La Liga – a 5-1 thrashing of Almeria after a goalless draw with Osasuna away from home. Sevilla had five goalscorers in that win over Almeria – En Nesyri, Suso, Lukebaiko, Lamela and Salas. It was their performance of the season. Since that win, something has yet to be achieved again: they lost to Barcelona before playing a 2-2 draw with PSV in their second UCL game. The Rojiblancos had to come from a two-goal deficit to avoid a home loss to Rayo Vallecano. Erstwhile coach Jose Luis Mendilibar replaced Diego Alonso after Sevilla remained with eight points from eight games. Alonso’s first game in charge will be the visit of league leaders Real Madrid.
Sevilla are considered to be Europa League kings with seven titles – a tournament they even won last season, beating AS Roma in the final while battling a mini-relegation fight in La Liga.
Arsenal have been knocked out of this competition in the last 16 in seven straight campaigns. So, Mikel Arteta knows his side just has to make it count in this group, and a result here might place everything in their favour.
Arsenal and Sevilla last met in this competition in 2007. The first leg at the Emirates finished 3-0 in favour of the Gunners, while the second leg ended in a 3-1 win to the Andalusian side. Meanwhile, their most recent meeting came in the Emirates Cup, which Arsenal won through a 6-0 bashing at the Emirates.
Match tickets
This epic match at the Emirates Stadium in London kicks off on Wednesday, 8th November at 9 PM UK time, and it will be shown live on TNT Sports, with coverage starting from around 8 PM.
It is Arsenal’s second home game in Europe’s elite competition following the group opener win over PSV. The 60,704-capacity stadium is the place to be on Wednesday night. Champions League nights are usually unique, and Sevilla fans should be present to support their team.
Getting tickets for Arsenal vs Sevilla tickets could be difficult, given the game’s standard. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
Aaron Ramsdale and Raya have swapped the roles in goal under Mikel Arteta this season, but the manager has settled for the latter in this competition. Declan Rice has been an instant hit at the Emirates, and he is expected to start again in the DM position, while Thomas Partey could be given some minutes, too. Jurrien Timber remains a long-term absentee.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus.
Sevilla has seen a change at the helm of affairs, so there might be a change in approach, and some players could profit from that. Marcos Acuna, Mariano Diaz, Marcao, and Oliver Torres have missed several games, while Tanguy Nianzou and Pastor Vacas are long-term absentees for the Rojiblancos. But all missing players could have returned before this clash in early November.
Sevilla: Nyland; Navas, Bade, Gudelj, Pedrosa; Fernando, Sow; Suso, Lamela, Lukebakio; En Nesyri.
Prediction
These two sides have met in the UEFA Champions League twice, and the win was shared one apiece – they won their respective home games. However, they have met twice in the Emirates Cup which Arsenal won one 6-1, and the other was a 2-1 win in favour of the Spanish side.
Arsenal have been perfect this season, and they will be hoping for another good outing at the Emirates before the final two rounds of matches. Their past meetings have produced goals; we do not see an exception here.
Arsenal 3-1 Sevilla