Arsenal face Athletic Club in Bilbao to open their Champions League campaign this season. It’s a tricky fixture to start the League Phase, for both clubs. As was a refrain last season, winning away from home in Europe is difficult. Bilbao are 3-0-1 to start their La Liga campaign, the same record as Arsenal have managed in the Premier League. The Spanish side are probably the toughest away draw Arsenal could have managed from Pot 4 — Newcastle were the best team in Pot 4 but the Gunners could not
draw them.
The two clubs have never played a competition fixture but did face each other in the preseason. Arsenal comfortably dispatched Athletic Club 3-0 at the Emirates. Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka gave the Gunners a 2-0 halftime lead and Kai Havertz added a third in the second half. Of course, two of those three aren’t available for Arsenal today through injury.
Bilbao have arguably the biggest injury miss for today’s match — Nico Williams. The talented winger misses out because of a thigh injury picked up on international duty. That’s not to say Arsenal’s injury list is not significant — missing Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard, Ben White, William Saliba (relegated to the bench), and Gabriel Jesus are all substantial losses. But Williams is their definitive star and the focal point of their attack.
For more on today’s matchup, check out our Preview!
Arsenal – Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Eze, Madueke, Gyokeres
Athletic Club – Unai Simon, Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Adama, Vesga, Jauregizar, Inaki Williams, Sancet, Navarro, Berenguer
WHAT: Arsenal at Athletic Club
WHERE: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, Spain
WHEN: Tuesday, September 16th 9:45 am PT | 12:45 pm ET | 6:45 pm GMT +2
US TV: Streaming on Paramount+
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