Arsenal will look to consolidate a top-eight place when they travel to take on a Girona side who have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.
Girona, who face Arsenal on Matchday 8, had plenty of big hopes while taking on some of the big teams in the UEFA Champions League after a stellar campaign in La Liga last time out. The Catalan outfit were undone by a solitary Rafael Leao strike in the first half of their encounter with AC Milan, as they could not break the Rossoneri defence thereafter.
Despite all the promise, some suggest Girona have been on the unlucky side, having lost three of their seven games with a 1-0 scoreline. They have fared well against the bigger sides like Liverpool, AC Milan and PSG but come out of it with nothing.
It may be a similar story when they host Arsenal, as Girona are playing for pride in this match. Hence, the fans might be hoping their team puts on a show without any pressure in this clash, as Michel will be targetting a big result to end his squad’s dismal run in the competition so far.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are nearly there into the round of 16 after a comfortable win over Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates on Matchday 7. Goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard kept the Gunners in third place in the standings and with a large enough goal difference for them not to worry too much about not finishing in the automatic places.
The Gunners have one of the best defences in terms of chances allowed to the opposition, and so far, they have only conceded twice. Only Liverpool and Inter Milan have allowed fewer or as many goals in the seven matches of the league phase.
Arsenal will look to get the show wrapped up with another victory when they take on Girona at Estadi Montilivi. There are some concerns with the squad depth for Mikel Arteta, but the Gunners side seem good enough to take three points comfortably on Wednesday.
Team News & Tactics
Girona
Michel will have a few key absentees to contend with as Bryan Gil will miss out with a suspension. There are further concerns in the left-back position as Daley Blind went off injured. At the same time, goalkeeper Paulo Gazzanigga was also taken off with a problem, which cast major doubts about the duo’s participation against Arsenal.
Girona are already without Miguel Gutierrez due to an ankle problem, meaning centre-back Alejandro Frances will likely deputise in the left-back role. Arnau Martinez, Juanpe, and David Lopez will complete the back four for Girona. Yangel Herrera and Oriol Romeu will be stationed in the central midfield zones.
Former Manchester United star Donny van de Beek takes the advanced position behind striker Abel Ruiz. Arnaut Danjuma is the likely replacement for the suspended Bryan Gil, while Ukrainian winger Viktor Tsygankov will feature on the right side of the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pau Lopez; Martinez, Juanpe, David Lopez, Frances; herrera, Romeu; Tsygankov, van de Beek, Danjuma; Ruiz
Arsenal
The Gunners continue to miss some of their attackers, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus out for the foreseeable future. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu have made progress behind the scenes, but this game will come too soon for their involvement.
At the weekend, Arsenal missed skipper Martin Odegaard and midfielder Mikel Merino with an illness and knock, respectively. The duo have taken part in full team training, meaning they are back in the mix, and that absence was only brief. Myles Lewis-Skelly has dominated headlines for his red card at the weekend. Still, he might start as the status of his appeal remains under a cloud, while Riccardo Calafiori could replace Gabriel.
Arteta might be tempted to rotate his pack for this one with particular emphasis on resting key attackers, especially Kai Havertz. The German has played a lot of games throughout the last six or seven games, meaning the manager could tweak his system a bit to play with a different style.
Ethan Nwaneri could be handed a start, while Raheem Sterling might also start the game, with one of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli in a false nine role. In midfield, there is an argument to protect some of their other important stars, like Declan Rice and Thomas Partey, meaning Jorginho and the fit again Merino could start alongside Odegaard.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Jorginho, Merino; Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling
Key Stats
- Girona have lost their last three games across all competitions.
- Girona have one victory in their last seven Champions League games this season.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four matches.
- Arsenal have conceded only two goals and the lowest expected goals in the UEFA Champions League this season.
- Arsenal have won five of their seven games in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Player to Watch
Martin Odegaard
Arsenal have lacked in the attacking third ever since losing Bukayo Saka to a long-term injury and have been in need of players to step up in a big way. Odegaard’s performance has come into the spotlight following some drab displays being their main attacking threat.
The Norwegian international needs to step up in a big way for Arsenal in the coming period, as there are some crucial games ahead for the North Londoners. Hence, all ayes will be on the Gunners’ skipper, as the fans will be hoping to see the captain back in full flow, especially with the Manchester City clash around the corner.
Prediction
Girona 0-2 Arsenal
Girona are coming into this clash at the back of an unlucky UEFA Champions League campaign, where they have lost six of their seven games and at least four with a 1-0 scoreline. In any case, those games have shown their attacking deficiencies, which might once again show when facing the best defence in the competition.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are short in their attacking setup, but they are still very lethal in the final third. The defence is one of their strong points, meaning Arteta will set out to see a game through and be clinical in the fila third. The Gunners are expected to take three points and keep a clean sheet.
