Arsenal vs RC Lens on matchday 5 of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season is set to be an electrifying clash of two superb teams. Arsenal and Lens have started the season differently despite finishing in a similar position last season. Both teams finished second in their respective leagues, a few points adrift of their league leaders. Their clash on matchday two of the 2023/24 UCL season produced moments that make their upcoming clash one to anticipate.
Arsenal are looking to assert their dominance in Europe after returning to prominence in the Premier League in the last two seasons. With a strong squad that boasts experienced players and exciting young talents, the Gunners are determined to make a statement in this season’s tournament edition, whose echoes will be heard in the coming editions. Led by Martin Ødegaard on the pitch and trained by the tactically astute Mikel Arteta, Arsenal will be playing to entertain the Emirates crowd and demoralise their opponents.
On the other hand, Lens, who have been making waves in recent years, will come to this match with an underdog spirit. Their journey to the Champions League has been remarkable, and they will be eager to prove they belong at this level.
They have already gotten one over the Gunners at their legendary Bollaert-Delelis stadium. They will surely come with their well-drilled defence and brilliant attack to disrupt Arsenal’s game plan and secure a historic victory.
This encounter promises a feast for fans of the beautiful game. The atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium in London will be electric, with passionate fans creating an unforgettable backdrop for this crucial clash. The importance of this game cannot be understated, as it could significantly impact either team’s chances of advancing to the knockout stages of the 2023/24 Champions League.
As both sides prepare for this battle of wills, skill, and strategy, fans are also gearing up for a night of incredible football. Read on for match ticket information, team news from both cams and our prediction of the game’s outcome.
Match Tickets
Arsenal vs RC Lens will be played at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, 29 November 2023, at 9 PM UTC. The matchday 5 fixture is essential, as both teams can determine their fate in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League after the final whistle.
Fans are expected to be in a scramble to get tickets, which means that the Arsenal vs RC Lens tickets will be sold out on either club’s website in a few moments after they go live.
Fans who need help getting Arsenal tickets or RC Lens tickets from the websites of either team can visit Seatsnet.com, a trusted ticket reselling platform. Fans looking to do away with their tickets for various reasons use the platform to exchange their tokens for money.
Fans at home can catch the game on Sky Sports streaming (via the Sky Sports app), TNT Sports (via the Discovery+ app) or CBS Sports Golazo (via the Paramount+ app). Fans must download the apps and subscribe to those channels to access the game.
Team news
Jurrien Timber is the only Arsenal player who is down and out. The young Dutch defender suffered an injury early on in his Arsenal career and may not feature for them again this season. The international break was good for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal’s two most prodigious attackers dealing with fitness issues for most of September.
The whole squad will be available for Arsenal’s home turf defence of three points against Lens on matchday 5 of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season.
Lens has three key players – Kevin Danso, Massadio Haidara and Jimmy Cabot – out due to injury. All three are out of commission for the Arsenal game. It is a problem for Franck Haise as Haidara and Danso are two defenders he counts on for several reasons. There will be needed changes, but the club’s fans will be seated at the edges of their seats, watching them play as Arsenal come at them with their attack.
Lineups
Arsenal have no major squad issues and have no reason to rest their best players on a Champions League night. As a result, Haise can expect to see a solid Arsenal team walking alongside his boys when both sets of players come out of the tunnel. Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka will lead the attack for the English side.
They will be supported by captain Ødegaard, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, whose style of play is improving under Arteta. Defence is where it gets tricky for Arsenal. Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko were used in a similar way at the start of the season. Partey got injured, and the manager was made to use a proper defender. Partey could return in the right-back slot for the Arsenal vs RC Lens game.
Arsenal: Raya; Partey, Gabriel, Saliba, Zinchenko; Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Lens will play with four defenders instead of their three centrebacks and two wing-backs defensive formation. This is to make up for the injury to Kevin Danso. Gradit and Medina will start, while Ruben Aguilar and Deiver Machado start as fullbacks. Salis Abdul Samed and Nampalys Mendy will screen them. Elye Wahi will lead the attack, with Angelo Fulgini playing behind him in the attacking midfield role.
RC Lens: Samba; Aguilar, Gradit, Medina, Machado; Abdul Samed, Mendy; Sotoca, Fulgini, Thomasson; Wahi.
Prediction
After being stunned in the reverse fixture, the Gunners will be looking to keep all three points from Arsenal vs RC Lens on matchday 5 of the 2023/24 Champions League season. The game will be exciting, with both managers taking their gloves off and attacking from the first blast of the whistle to the last. The midfield will be pretty busy, and lots of stamina will be required to help Arsenal survive the onslaught of the physical French team.
Rice could end up with a man-of-the-match performance due to this ensuing midfield battle. Arsenal will have the Emirates crowd behind them, however, which will be a boost just as the Bollaert-Delelis crowd rallied behind Lens to help them defeat Arsenal. The Gunners will take this game narrowly.
Arsenal 2-1 RC Lens