Arsenal look to lick their wounds after Sunday’s poor showing at the Emirates when they welcome Kairat Almaty for the 8th and final match of the Champions League league phase.
The story of the Gunners’
league phase campaign has been one of steady dominance. 7 wins from 7 matches means they were the first team to punch their ticket for a top 8 spot and secure a top 2 finish, earning a crucial playoff round bye as well as home advantage for the second leg of every round until the final.
On Wednesday, they get to sit back and watch as the rest of the chaos unfolds across the competition as every final match takes place simultaneously. Top 8 spots are still up for grabs, and a handful of clubs will be fighting to keep themselves above the elimination zone. And then there’s Arsenal. Improbable, undeniable, unbothered Arsenal, at home with literally nothing to lose.
And thank goodness for that. Wednesday’s match is a bit of an oasis for the Gunners after their league form has gone belly up. Through three domestic matches, Arsenal have seen prime opportunities to widen the gap at the top turn into dropped points with two draws and a loss in that timeframe, inviting a deluge of noise that they had previously blocked out. Sunday’s 2-3 sucker punch of a loss to Manchester United at the Emirates has seen a wave of criticisms and questions leveled at Mikel Arteta and the players in the fallout of the result as they look to regain their form and shake off whatever hoodoo has infected them.
It wouldn’t feel so maddeningly frustrating if not for the juxtaposition of their sterling form in cup competitions, but such is the state of it at the Emirates right now. Thankfully, they seem to have found a formula that works outside of the league, and that means they can face an already eliminated Kairat Almaty side without any immediate worries. Considering everything else, that’s a nice bit of respite and relief when they certainly need it most.
Here are three talking points ahead of Wednesday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Kairat Almaty find themselves dead last in the Champions League league phase with 1 point from a record of 0W/1D/5L.
Hailing from Kazakhstan, this season has seen Kairat Almaty make their Champions League debut. After winning the Kazakhstan Premier League and surviving 3 rounds of qualifying ties, they earned their first berth by knocking off Scottish titans Celtic in the final playoff round.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, their CL experience has been consummately poor, performance wise. They have lost all but one match, and their one draw came in an 0-0 match against 10-man Pafos, who are also in the elimination zone.
I don’t know much about them aside from what they have shown in their league phase performances. They aren’t great by any stretch, but they seem to have greatly enjoyed their experience, having hosted Real Madrid at their stadium while traveling to face Inter Milan and, on Wednesday, Arsenal. Videos of their excitement during the league phase draw made their rounds on social media back when the draw first took place, and it was really quite nice to see them buzzing at the chance to face teams that they all likely grew up idolizing.
There isn’t a name of note on their roster with any appreciable ties to the Premier League or Arsenal. They have only scored 5 goals over the league phase while shipping 19. Not that any of that matters in a dead rubber tie, but it does paint a picture of a side that, for all intents and purposes, the reserves should be able to handle without any major issues. Much like the hosts, their fate is already sealed, so hopefully it’s an affair that reflects the nonexistent stakes of the tie while the visitors soak up one last trip to a face a marquee side.
Injuries & Suspensions
Arsenal have gotten the majority of their players back, but somehow look worse. Poetic, isn’t it? Barring any announcements from Mikel Arteta, it would appear that no new absences have been picked up after Sunday. The main players missing for Wednesday will be Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, who both picked up their 3rd yellows of the league phase at Inter Milan, each earning a one match ban.
OUT: Declan Rice (accumulation), Mikel Merino (accumulation)
DOUBTFUL: Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Martinelli, Havertz, Madueke
With nothing to play for, there’s no need to overthink the lineup. Rest where you can, and get minutes for those who need them. Gabriel Martinelli was an unused sub against United, so he is an easy option on the left. Opposite him, Noni Madueke gets a start with a chance to gain some much-needed confidence after a wasteful cameo on Sunday. If Kai Havertz, who has not featured since his appearance at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, is available, there isn’t a better chance to get him at the very least a half of action. If he is still unavailable, then Viktor Gyökeres starts.
Midfield: Eze, Nørgaard, Ødegaard
Thanks to Rice’s and Merino’s yellow cards at Inter, neither are available for the final match of the league table phase, so options in the middle of the park are limited. That being said, at least one of the usual starters will likely feature in the starting XI. Martin Zubimendi is in desperate need of a break after Sunday, which gives way to Christian Nørgaard at the 6. Eberechi Eze is a no-brainer at the 8 as he, too, searches for consistency. Martin Ødegaard on the right is fine. He’s been a bit off the pace. Can he use Wednesday as a chance to rediscover his form?
Defense: Lewis-Skelly, Hincapie, Mosquera, White
Arsenal’s defense finally has enough healthy depth to rotate across the board. After a historically strong start to the season, they have looked out of sorts in recent weeks. The pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba are due a rest, which gives way to Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera to start as the CBs. On the outside, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White are more than adequate for the occasion. If he is available, Riccardo Calafiori probably sees a few minutes as a late substitute.
Keeper: Kepa
There is zero reason to not let Kepa get a CL start on Wednesday. He’s been quality in his limited performances, and a CL start is a fine reward for his efforts.
Things haven’t worked out quite as well as Arsenal would have liked in recent weeks, at least in the Premier League, which makes Wednesday a welcome breather and an opportunity to re-establish some identity. The dog-piling by outlets and rival fans has kicked off in full force with Arsenal’s mentality once again in question. The “b” word is being tossed about with glee by those ready to see Arsenal fall short for the 4th straight season. It’s up to Mikel and the players to shut out the noise and look inward as they seek answers to some of the difficult questions they are facing right now. Wednesday likely doesn’t show us anything new, but at the very least, it gives them a chance to play without pressure for the first time in what feels like forever.
WHO: Arsenal vs Kairat Almaty
WHAT: The Champions League league phase match day 8
WHEN: Wednesday, January 26th, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Paramount+ app
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