On the heels of a gritty but commanding 1-0 win against Fulham on Saturday, Arsenal return to Champions League play on Tuesday night, hosting La Liga side Atlético Madrid for a high profile affair at the Emirates
Stadium.
If you venture into online spaces before entering Tuesday’s showdown, the narrative has been spun – this match is going to be the apex of anti-football. The high-IQ pundits on football social media have gleefully made their “haramball” and “terrorist ball” posts, ready to watch two of the game’s most “defensive” sides play the ugliest 90 minutes that the world will ever see. It would be a little funny if it weren’t so painfully unoriginal.
More important than the “narrative” is the reality that, following two wins to begin their CL campaign and an ascendancy to the top of the Premier League table, Arsenal have already found themselves as favorites for Europe’s most coveted cup competition according to The Athletic. It’s extremely preliminary, but it points toward a more exciting narrative – that these Gunners are, just maybe, finally built to take it home.
A ton of matches still stand between now and then. Tuesday is pivotal, and a win for Arsenal keeps them firmly in the top 8 of the CL league table and builds on their momentum. After Atletico are matchups with Bayern Munich and last season’s finalists Inter Milan in the league stage. With more heavyweight showdowns coming up, can the Gunners keep their focus, continue their winning ways, and further cement their spot in the league stage?
Here are three talking points ahead of Tuesday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Diego Simeone’s side has long since been the standard bearer in Europe for physical, direct football that eschews individual artistry for relentless defending and workhorse effort. To a point, that has been mostly true. In his 15 years at the helm, Simeone developed a reputation for building sides that squeezed the life out of the match with possession while giving very little. Like their manager, they are intense and rarely shy away from a confrontation. It has led to two La Liga titles under his watch, as well as two Europa Leagues (including that one in 2018 where they knocked out Arsenal in the semis), two UEFA Super Cups, a Copa del Rey, and a Supercopa de España trophy.
This season has seen a bit of a divergence from the usual Simeone style. Currently sitting 4th in the La Liga table after 9 matches with a 4-4-1 record, they are joint third for goals scored with 16, while having already given up an uncharacteristic 10 goals. Their roster features an impressive collection of some of the game’s best players, including Jan Oblak in goal and Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann in the attack. They are solid from front to back and don’t have any glaring areas of weakness. Their only loss came on the opening day of the league, and despite the number of goals conceded, they have shown a penchant for scoring and are more than capable of punishing teams when given the chance.
Their CL campaign so far has seen them split their first two ties. A late 3-2 loss against Liverpool during Pool’s “let’s just leave it late” run in their first match was followed by a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt on match day two, exorcising a few demons at the expense of the Bundesliga side. Simeone was forced to watch from the stands after he earned a red card following a confrontation with a Liverpool supporter during their loss, but they didn’t miss a beat in his absence.
With a loss in the league stage already, their motivation for Tuesday’s match is clear, and there is zero doubt that they will come out swinging. Like Arsenal, Atleti have yet to lift the Champions League trophy, with a single appearance in the CL finals in 2014 to their name. Simeone has won everything there is to win in La Liga, but the CL remains the final piece of the puzzle to round out his lengthy career.
Injuries & Suspensions
Saturday’s match was a little too close for comfort in some aspects, and Arsenal were unable to take their foot off the gas and sub as early as they probably would have liked. Still, they emerged without any new injury concerns, so that’s a plus.
A handful of players have returned to training, including Piero Hincapie and Ben White. Kai Havertz is not far behind. Noni Madueke is expected back by early November, and Martin Ødegaard on track to be back after the next international break.
OUT: Kai Havertz (knee), Martin Ødegaard (MCL), Noni Madueke (knee), Gabriel Jesus (ACL)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Martinelli, Gyökeres, Saka
While Gabriel Martinelli has had an up and down start to the PL season, he has been central to the CL campaign so far, with two goals through the first two matches. After coming off the bench against Fulham, he is in line for a start against Atleti. Viktor Gyökeres is starting to click with his teammates and getting into more shooting positions, even if he is in a a goal drought. He works tirelessly and with a desperation to score that you like to see. Bukayo Saka earned a deserved MOTM for his display on the weekend. He was far and away the best player on the pitch, and his return to form is a revelation.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Eze
Eberechi Eze’s workload will increase as Martin Ødegaard returns from injury, growing pains and all. The Fulham match wasn’t his best, but his quality will show itself as he adapts to the system and his new role. Alongside him, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are a tandem that have become the glue that connects the defense to the midfield. Their differing styles annd demeanors are a perfect complement, with Rice marauding the pitch like a madman and Zubimendi calmly releasing the pressure in the midfield.
Defense: Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
The left back continues to be a position where I expect changes to come, and yet, they don’t. That is a good thing overall, but I assume that Arteta will rotate a little more with the slate of matches coming up. If Myles Lewis-Skelly doesn’t start on Tuesday, he almost certainly starts next week against Brighton in the Carabao Cup. Seeing as how the CL group stage forces teams to play on the front-foot, his defensive prowess may be preferred. The rest of the defense is undroppable. Simple as.
Keeper: Raya
Like the defenders ahead of him, there is no reason to supplant David Raya. He hasn’t had a shot to save in over two matches, and it’d be absolutely fine if that continues.
Whether or not you subscribe to the absurd anti-football narrative, the truth is that Arsenal are an elite side that are brutally frustrating for the opposition. They are going to make a lot of noise this season, even if some of the performances lack the electric verve of previous iterations. Wins are wins, no matter how they come, and they keep finding ways to win, pretty and ugly alike. Their depth is built for deep runs, and the cumulative experience of the roster is showing itself as the season rolls on. Strap in for the ride, folks. It could be a whole lot of fun by the end.
WHO: Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid
WHAT: Champions League league stage match day 3
WHEN: Tuesday, October 21st, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video apps
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