After a win at Tottenham, Arsenal will play their first match of the Champions League campaign against the reigning Europa League Champions. The North Londoners will take a trip to Atlanta and hope to start the campaign with three points. Considering their European away record, it would be an important match for Arsenal. It will be interesting to see how Arsenal approach this game amid multiple tough fixtures. They play Man City on the weekend and with injuries playing a part in team selection, here’s what can be expect from Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal Offense:
Arsenal will travel to Atalanta without their captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian midfielder suffered a right ankle injury during the international break and is out for a long time. The 25-year-old is the team’s creative mind and creating chances without him will be tough. Even though Arsenal will have Rice back for the game after he missed the last league match against Tottenham, the substitution of star winger Bukayo Saka could mean a change in the lineup. The English winger got hurt against Spurs but was spotted on the training ground. Looks like it was just a cramp. He is available, but having played every game till now, Arteta might not start him.
This opens the possibility for a few other players to start tonight. Gabriel Jesus’s Champions League record is great. He was Arsenal’s best attacker last season, he was involved in 7 goals in 8 matches, the most by an Arsenal player last season. He could join the frontline if Havertz drops into the midfield or play alongside Havertz up top in a two-striker lineup. Sterling could also make his Champions League debut for Arsenal. He is a natural replacement for Saka on the wing and Nwaneri could also feature for Arsenal tonight after he came on as a substitute against The Spurs. He is the only natural attacking midfielder at Arsenal other than Odegard. His lack of experience is the only thing stopping him from starting.
The Arsenal defense:
On the defensive side of things, Riccardo Calafiori could make his debut for Arsenal. The Italian defender was back at training after suffering a calf injury during international duty. The 22-year-old can play either as a left back or as a left center back for Arsenal. After Jurrien Timber returned from his ACL injury, he is slowly getting back to his best form. Playing him in three back-to-back away games after just coming back from a serious injury is not advisable. Arteta could very well save Timber for the match against Manchester City during the weekend. Seeing Calafiori start won’t be a shock. He has played against Atalanta during his time at Bologna and his experience in Italy will be useful.
The Atalanta Challenge
The Italian side has begun the season with mixed results. After 2 wins and 2 loses from four games they are sitting at the ninth place. They have scored 8 goals and conceded the same number of goals in the league. Their attack is dangerous but they’re very leaky at the back. Arsenal have a great defense and with Rice back should be able to stop Ademola Lookman and his teammates. They have what it takes to win a European trophy, they proved this by winning the Europa League. They beat a strong Liverpool squad before becoming the first team to beat Bayer Leverkusen last season. The challenge from the Italian side is not easy but Arsenal is expected to win or at least get a draw.
Bottomline
The North Londoners would like to start their campaign with a win. The team looks stronger on paper than their opponents. After a derby win, confidence in the squad must be high. They should get the better of Atlanta if they think of themselves as contenders, Arsenal have never won the UCL, and Mikel Arteta would like to change that.
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