Coming off of an emotional and physical triumph over Newcastle away from home on Sunday, Arsenal return to London for a midweek Champions League match, hosting Greek side Olympiacos on Wednesday evening
for the second match of the CL league stage.
Mikel Arteta’s side has been racking up the frequent flyer miles since the season began, playing 5 of their opening 8 matches across all competitions on the road. October brings a much-needed reprieve as the Gunners are at home for all but one of their upcoming 6 matches. The opening fixture list was brutal, but a favorable early Fall slate is a welcome reward for their efforts.
Arsenal endured an exhausting match at Newcastle that saw their depth once again make the difference when it mattered. Stealing a page out of Liverpool’s playbook, two late goals flipped the script and earned the Gunners’ first win at St. James’ Park since 2023.
Just as importantly, the Gunners played on the front foot. For all of the reactionary takes across social media about Arsenal and Arteta being defensively minded, they put those accusations to rest with an assertive attacking performance against one of the staunchest sides in the league.
With a very amenable schedule ahead of them, can Arsenal capitalize on the momentum from the weekend and ride it to a second Champions League win in as many matches? Here are three talking points ahead of Wednesday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Greek Super League champions Olympiacos head to the Emirates stadium for their 13th matchup against the Gunners, their 9th in Champions League play all time against the north London club. Behind Bayern Munich, who Arsenal also face in the league stage, they are the club that the Gunners have faced the most in their Champions League history. So, what’s another match in the clubs’ storied European rivalry?
They have long since been the standard bearers in the Greek Super League. Their 48 titles are more than double the next closest club (Panathinaikos with 20), and though they haven’t ever reached the peak of Europe’s top club competition, they did something no Greek club has ever done before two seasons ago when they bested Fiorentina in the Europa League Conference final, earning the first ever continental cup for a Greek side.
The Greek powerhouse enter in good form in their domestic league. After a winning their latest league title last season, they are once again at the top of the table with 4 wins and a draw from their first 5 matches. Their roster doesn’t have too many recognizable names, though Arsenal fans may remember former Wolverhampton player Daniel Podence. 18 year old midfield starlet Christos Mouzakitis was the subject of transfer speculation with Arsenal over the summer, but he opted to stay in Greece over a move to a larger side. He’ll undoubtedly be snapped up soon enough.
Their CL campaign didn’t get off to the start they would have hoped for. In their home opener against Cyprian side PAFOS FC, they failed to find a goal against a 10-man side and ended up with a 0-0 draw. They aren’t predicted by any major outlet to make the top 8, but could be a shout for one of the 24 spots that will make it through to the knockouts. Now that they are playing from behind, they will absolutely come to the Emirates looking to land an early punch on the Gunners’ chin and make up ground in the table.
Injuries & Suspensions
As of writing this article, Arsenal managed something against Newcastle that they haven’t done all season – avoid a new injury in a PL match. Despite the Magpies’ best (and frequent) efforts, the Gunners came out unscathed. Martin Ødegaard made a late cameo that turned the tide after missing the past three matches with another shoulder injury, which restores much-needed creativity in the midfield.
Arsenal’s depth meant they were able to continue resting players like Christian Nørgaard and Ben White, who only recently returned to first team action. The rest of the injuries remains the same, with a slew of players out until late November at the earliest.
OUT: Kai Havertz (knee), Gabriel Jesus (ACL), Noni Madueke (knee), Piero Hincapie (groin)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Martinelli, Gyökeres, Saka
The Gunners attack had a tough go of it at St. James’ Park, though they looked much more toothsome than in recent weeks. Viktor Gyökeres put in his best shift in an Arsenal shirt and got his hands dirty against a physical Newcastle defense. His link up play has improved by leaps and bounds and he was even able to get a few shots off in the box. Bukayo Saka continued to return to form, but looked much more his typical slippery self on Sunday. The big call is who comes in off the left. Leandro Trossard got the start in the last two league matches and played 88 minutes on Sunday. Martinelli has fresher legs and could be massive in stretching the opposition’s back line.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Eze
This was a tough call. Martin Ødegaard’s return means Arteta could field his first choice midfield from the beginning of the season. But after what Eberechi Eze did against Newcastle on Sunday, you cannot drop him. He was everywhere in the attack and was unlucky to not get a goal or two. Ødegaard will certainly make a cameo, but more time for the skipper to recover is totally fine. Declan Rice was a monster on Sunday and ate up the pitch, snuffing out attacks and delivering the cross for Mikel Merino’s equalizer. Martin Zubimendi faced his most physical test and passed with flying colors. He hasn’t leapt off the page, but that is alright. He’s not supposed to. He quietly pops up in the right spaces to progress the ball and rarely puts a foot wrong.
Defense: Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
The defense responded massively after going down a goal early, with Gabriel in particular making up for a poor effort on the opener to deliver the game-winning header in stoppage. He is just so clutch in those scenarios. Jurrien Timber put in another masterful display as the league’s best right back. William Saliba started on the bench, likely out of precaution as he returns to fitness, but closed up shop on the Newcastle defense in the 2nd half.
Keeper: Raya
David Raya was left on an island for the opener on Sunday, but did everything else right on the day. His long balls and command of the box were exceptional against a big Newcastle side.
The next several weeks will give fans a better sight of just how deep the bench is. The goal against Olympiacos isn’t just to win, but to get an early lead, rotate heavily, and get ready for a London Derby with West Ham coming to the Emirates on the weekend before a two week international break. Sunday pushed Arsenal to the brink, and the Gunners pushed right back. The momentum of the weekend cannot be wasted, and while a long season still awaits, early dominance has a way of leading to future dividends.
WHO: Arsenal vs Olympiacos
WHAT: Champions League league stage match day 2
WHEN: Wednesday, October 1st, 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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