Arsenal welcome Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen to the Emirates for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 as the Gunners look to punch their ticket into the quarterfinals.
What a difference a match makes. Following last week’s frustratingly toothless performance in the first leg in Germany, Mikel Arteta’s men bounced back on the weekend with a jubilant 2-0 win over a staunch Everton defense in the Premier League. The Gunners knew that they needed to win against the Toffees, and they dug
deep and snatched a crucial late result punctuated by a phenomenal (and historic) debut goal for 16 year old Max Dowman.
That performance, and the emotional impact of it, came at about the best time possible. Arsenal entered the weekend with a potentially season-defining three match run ahead of them, and Saturday’s result proved to be significant in their Premier League campaign. Manchester City failed to beat West Ham later in the evening, widening the gap between the Gunners and City to 9 points and giving Arsenal significant daylight with only 7 matches left to play in the league.
Now the Gunners set their sights on the Champions League and will hope that the buoyed confidence from a raucous result propels them through the rest of the week. The Emirates exploded into absolute euphoria at the end of Saturday’s match, a stark contrast to the anxious energy that has seeped into the home support in recent weeks. By the final whistle, the looks on the players’ faces spoke volumes about what that victory meant. They know what’s at stake this season, and Saturday proved to be the sort of performance that can be a springboard to even greater victories to come.
Wednesday is yet another chance for Arsenal to stand up, stand tall, and be the team they have shown themselves to be all season. It won’t be easy, but when has it ever been? Can the Gunners ride the wave of Saturday’s momentum, assert themselves, and head into the weekend with another definitive home win?
Here are three talking points ahead of Wednesday’s match:
Know the Enemy
With only a week between matches, there isn’t too much new to really report about Arsenal’s opponent. Leverkusen did, however, manage a result that likely bolstered their confidence heading into Tuesday’s match when they drew league leaders Bayern Munich 1-1 at home in a match that featured two red cards for the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Sure, two red cards certainly improves a sides chances of not losing, but you take the opportunities you’re given. And that Leverkusen did, registering 21 shot attempts against Bayern. They may not have beaten the title holders, but the draw extends their unbeaten run to 6 across all competitions, with their recent two draws coming against the two clubs favored to make it to the finals in the Champions League.
The biggest news for their side ahead of the second leg was the return of star striker Patrik Schick on Saturday. After missing the first leg at the BayArena, he gives them a huge boost in the attack. Granted, Christian Kofane proved to be a handful for Arsenal’s defense last week, but having Schick back gives them a veteran weapon who will have seen the success Kofane had last week testing the Gunners’ back line and look to capitalize on it.
It’s hard to imagine that they don’t enter Tuesday’s tie believing that they can replicate last week’s game plan of frustrating Arsenal with a rock solid defense. The Gunners were entirely out of sorts up front, which is as much a credit to Leverkusen as it is a condemnation of Arteta’s side. In Leverkusen’s last 14 matches, they have only given up more than one goal once. With Schick back in the lineup, they’ll fancy their chances of moving on to the next round if they can bag an early lead and shut down shop, as they nearly did on Wednesday if not for a late penalty.
Injuries & Suspensions
Jurrien Timber suffered a knock in the first half against Everton that saw him subbed off for Cristhian Mosquera. It’s a frustrating blow, but hopefully one that is not long-term. He missed Monday’s training, which isn’t a surprise, but it’s tough to think he would be fit for Tuesday. Leandro Trossard was left out of the side on Saturday following his knock at Leverkusen, but he was part of the first team training ahead of Tuesday’s match and is available, according to Mikel Arteta’s press conference on Monday.
Mikel Merino remains out, likely for the season, while Martin Ødegaard still has not made a return to training after his knee injury suffered against Manchester United in January. The captain is pushing to be fit for the weekend’s Carabao Cup final.
OUT: Mikel Merino (foot), Martin Ødegaard (knee), Jurrien Timber (unknown)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Martinelli, Havertz, Madueke
That was more like it. While it took them a while to find the net, the attack was far more fluid and effective on Saturday. Havertz’ return has been tremendous, and a second start is deserved for his efforts. Perhaps the balance of a Kai start with a Viktor Gyökeres late cameo can become the key to unlocking teams going forward.
I know it sounds like too big of a gamble in such a high-stakes match, but I have an inkling that Arteta keeps Noni Madueke on the right while dropping Saka into the 10. Saka has looked a tad off it on the right, but still has tremendous quality as a creator. Noni is direct and daring, and he made the dribble that drew the penalty at Leverkusen last week.
Opposite him is likely Gabriel Martinelli. He came on as a late substitute against Everton and provided the header to spring Max Dowman for his goal. Say what you will about Martinelli, but he gives everything he has on the pitch.
Midfield: Eze, Rice, Saka
Fortune favors the bold, and this may be the time we see some daring tactical changes. The double pivot of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi has been exceptional so far, but it’s clear that Zubi has been gassed for a bit. Rice has also shown a bit of wear and tear, but dropping him to the 6 can certainly be a solution to save his legs a tad. He held it down on his own over the last stretch of the match after Zubi was subbed off on Saturday and put in a solid shift.
Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze in the midfield provides a one-two combo of playmaking ability that we haven’t seen in a while. Eze’s performance on Saturday was quality, and you can see his confidence growing. Saka featured at the 10 against Wolves a few matches ago and managed to find the net early on. It may be a reach, but something tells me we may see this as Arteta pushes to break down the visitors and get the Gunners on the board early.
Defense: Hincapie, Gabriel, Saliba, Mosquera
Arsenal’s defenders were immense against Everton. Between the starters and the subs, they each put in an excellent shift to keep a clean sheet on the night. Jurrien Timber’s injury was the only blemish on an otherwise great night for the defense. With him likely out, Cristhian Mosquera is the next man up. Ben White was on the bench on the weekend but I doubt he has more than 30 minutes in his legs at the moment.
Opposite Mosquera, I would say it’s a coin toss between Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori on the left. Calafiori got the start against Everton, which may mean a start for Hincapie to help manage minutes. Gabriel and William Saliba are evergreen in the middle of the defense.
Keeper: Raya
The goals may have gotten the headlines, but David Raya was a huge reason for the result against Everton. He made a handful of tremendous saves to keep the visitors out and secure a league-leading 15th clean sheet. His place is never in doubt.
The next week is all about juggling the two critical states of total self-belief and stoic composure. Arsenal reminded themselves and supporters on the weekend of their quality after a string of less-than-impressive performances. Their ability has rarely been in doubt this season, while their capacity for blocking out the noise and managing matches has, until recently, been second to none. The games aren’t won solely on the pitch, but in between the players’ ears as well. With a loud home support waiting to cheer them on, it’s all in their hands. Play smart. Play brave. Play like champions.
WHO: Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen
WHAT: Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg
WHEN: Tuesday, March 17th, 4:00pm EST/1:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Paramount+ app
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